


Gameboys

by peachbunny



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: 2Park are the bro-est, Angst with Fluff ending, College!AU, Daniel's just being Daniel, Jihoon's the brattiest, M/M, Rivals to Lovers, nielwink are gamers, ongwink and nielnyeon if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2018-11-05
Packaged: 2019-02-22 14:44:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 32,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13169124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachbunny/pseuds/peachbunny
Summary: “Park Jihoon plays to win” had been his mantra when he attempted to break into the national eSports scene during the summer vacation before college.So when Jihoon loses his shot at regionals because of the giggliest fuckboy to have ever graced the login screen of his favorite FPS, he was out for blood. What he didn’t expect was that his newfound arch-nemesis would materialize months later in the form of his new college roommate: a junior named Kang Daniel who breaks hearts faster than his skill cooldowns.Let the games begin.





	1. Let the games begin

“Don’t break it!” 

 

Jihoon nearly bit his best friend’s head off as the two slowly made their way up their new dorm’s steep stairs, carrying a huge package in between the two of them. They had survived the long car ride from their hometown somewhere off the outskirts of Busan to their college campus in Seoul, with Woojin’s dad leaving them as quickly as he could rev the sedan back to  _ drive _ . 

 

“If we have to carry up another box of your stuff, I’ll break your teeth as consolation for myself,” Woojin threatened in between labored gasps.  Their room was on the fourth floor, and judging by the amount of people rushing up and down the stairs, the duo figured that all the freshmen were cramming to get settled in. It didn’t help at all that the one and only elevator on the building was currently under repair.

 

“I only had a duffle bag packed, Jihoon, why’d you have to pack your entire house?” Woojin whined.

 

Jihoon rolled his eyes. “If we won the match at the district qualifiers, my gaming rig wouldn’t be this  _ heavy _ ,” he gives a grunt as he pulls the box up the last flight of stairs, with Woojin huffing behind him. 

 

“You don’t even know if our new roommates would appreciate you setting this up,” Woojin drops the huge box as they reached the landing of the fourth floor, earning an angry look from his bestfriend. 

 

“They’ll forgive me once they get a load of how cute I am,” Jihoon panted, examining the box for any dents. His computer was safely wrapped in foam and bubble wrap inside, but he could have done without Woojin’s incessant whining. “Besides, didn’t you see the computer setup one of the juniors had in our room? I think we’d get along fine.” 

 

“Or you’d be an asshole, like you always are, and we’ll have to find another dorm to move into,” Woojin walked over to their room and hastily opened the door before hunching back down to lift up Jihoon’s box. “Come on, you royal pain in the ass, let’s lug this in so we could get the rest of our stuff downstairs.”

 

The two had filed their dorm applications a bit late, and ended up having to share a room with two juniors instead of a set of freshmen at the first-year dorms. Jihoon was loath to admit it, but he was thankful he was still sharing with Woojin - at least he wasn’t the youngest in the room. 

 

“I swear, if only you hadn’t dragged me into playing all summer long, we could’ve gotten a better room,” Woojin continued with his steady slew of complaints. 

 

“You’re the only passable player I know,” Jihoon stated ‘passable’ like it was a compliment, earning an eyebrow raised from Woojin. “And the heavens know I would have gone straight to nationals if the rest of our team wasn’t a bunch of airheads.” 

 

Woojin regretted bringing up the topic. 

 

Jihoon always spoke passionately about that one incident over the summer: the district qualifiers for his favorite online first-person shooter game. Granted, Jihoon was an amazing player, but the game required a team of five and Jihoon honestly did not have that many friends willing to put up with him in-game. 

 

Hell, even Woojin didn’t want to play alongside Jihoon. He was competitive, sure, but Jihoon existed on a whole other plane. The only reason he was pulled into it was because Jihoon would probably never shut up about missing the qualifiers just because Woojin was too chicken to play competitively.

 

And that’s where he was wrong, because Jihoon doesn’t shut up about it even after Woojin sacrificed an entire summer with his face glued onto his old computer screen.

 

Jihoon entered their room and looked around to check where he could set up. The room was made for four people - two bunk beds across each other, a small common area that was decked out with an old sofa and their roommate’s own computer setup, and cabinets lining the walls. All in all, it was a comfortable room - but he knew four boys in a single room was nowhere near comfortable. 

 

“I don’t even care for that prize rig anymore,” Jihoon sourgraped as they pushed the box into the room. “It wasn’t all that.” 

 

Woojin smirked. The “prize rig” was quite literally every gaming fanboy’s dream. A full gaming rig boasting an expensive graphics card and top-of-the-line processors decked out in a chrome-red finish - and all for the taking of whoever won the district qualifiers. 

 

***

 

The district qualifiers for regionals was a small event - it was nowhere near an international esports arena; but for two boys growing up along the outskirts of Busan it was more than enough. They were here to win and bask in the glory before heading off to the regionals in Seoul. 

 

Jihoon was wheedling excitedly when they took their spots in the room. 

 

“Okay, as rehearsed,” Jihoon babbled, his fingers flexing over the keyboard. “I play tank, and you play support. Then we’ll have the rest of the other players choose what they want.”

 

“I don’t want to play support,” Woojin groaned, leaning back into the comfortable chairs. “You know I hate playing support.” 

 

“But you’re the only one I  _ trust _ , Woojin,” Jihoon begged, pulling at his friend’s arm. “You have literally saved my ass countless times in these campaigns.”

 

“I’d love to show your ass where it can go to die,” Woojin gritted his teeth.  

 

“I entrust you with my life,” Jihoon continued with the sweet-talk. “And I owe you at least a dozen favors when we get to college. I will literally be the Leia to your Jabba the Hutt.” 

 

“Because you look like a girl?” Woojin butted in.

 

“Because you look like a slug.” 

 

“...Like hell I’m supporting your sorry ass.”

 

Jihoon was in the middle of that ridiculous laugh of his and was preparing a fresh set of sugar words to convince Woojin to play support when a hand found its way to Jihoon’s headrest. 

 

“I can play support,” the voice came low and husky, and both Parks had to turn in their seats to see who it was. “Red team, right? I’m Daniel.” 

 

In front of them stood a tall boy who was dressed in a red hoodie and had a white snapback on his head. Jihoon looked over at the player roster that was taped on the table in front of him. 

 

“ _ Realdefdanik?”  _ he read the username out loud.

 

“The one and only,” Daniel gave him a wide grin and walked over to the seat across Jihoon. 

 

“I’m  _ Jijiji0529 _ ,” Jihoon threw out a hand and found that Daniel’s large hand enveloped his completely in a handshake. “And this is... _ woadflkva _ .”

 

_ Realdefdanik _ raised an eyebrow as Woojin sheepishly took his hand. “Did you just mash your face into the keyboard to come up with that?” 

 

“I mashed his face in,” Jihoon explained before Woojin could comment. “He took too long trying to decide.”

 

“Or, he just got dragged into playing by his awfully cute best friend,” Daniel smirked, hazarding a guess and hitting the mark. “Good luck to us,  _ Jijiji _ and friend.” Daniel slowly took his seat and all Jihoon and Woojin could see was the top of his white snapback.

 

Jihoon cocked his head to the side in confusion. Realdefdanik was walking the very thin line between being confident and being a trashcan. He saw a private chat window pop up in front of him.

 

woadflkva:  _ did that fuccboi just call you ‘awfully cute’? _

Jijiji0529 _ : i...think he did _

woadflkva:  _ guess we finally found a teammate who wants a piece of your sorry a$$ _

 

Jihoon glared at Woojin who was sitting beside him, shrugging. 

 

_ Realdefdanik  _ continued with the small talk even if the two Parks couldn’t see him behind their monitors. They even heard him waving to a group of friends who were sitting a few meters away.

 

woadflkva:  _ your new boyfriend seems pretty popular _

Jijiji0529 _ : u seem jealous _

woadflkva:  _ u seem ugly _

  
  


Their two other teammates arrive, and after exchanging a couple of greetings, the team settled into their roles. Some basic strategy and a pep talk later, and their team was already set to start the match.

 

Jihoon was feeling good. He was off to a strong start with a couple of headshots to the opposing team and barely sustained any injury. For all his bluster,  _ Realdefdanik _ actually had the skills to back up his talk - Jihoon barely needed to think about keeping his avatar alive.

 

Except he was often shouting at his friends rather than at his team and he had the attention span of a newborn goldfish. Jihoon figured that the boy’s entire highschool friend group was in the stands - he swore he already knew the names of  _ Realdefdanik’s  _ friends with the way he shouted at them so often.

 

Jihoon was an excellent player. But his team was lackluster: the two other players were too aggressive and died often; and Woojin played as Woojin normally played - meaning Jihoon had to back him up most of the time. 

 

It was a close match, and during the last minute - Jihoon finally found an opening to secure his team’s victory.

 

His ultimate skill bar was full, and he could use it to obliterate the entire enemy team just before the time was up. He could feel the blood pumping in his ears and the adrenaline sending his fingers flying over the keys and scrolling with pinpoint accuracy. Jihoon felt a smile creep on his lips as he pressed the button that would end the game.

 

Except Daniel’s avatar hurls into Jihoon’s on the last second as he activates his hero’s ult - a horrible disaster involving self-destruction and a 30 second wait to respawn - and Jihoon rips off the headset from his ears and stands up to glare at the taller boy over his screen. 

 

“What the actual fuck!” Jihoon screeched..

 

_ Realdefdanik _ with his red hoodie and his white snapback and his fuckboy  _ face  _ isn’t apologetic - as a matter of fact, he was doubled over laughing. Jihoon was fuming over him from across the screen and all Daniel could do was giggle himself out of breath.

 

Woojin himself had to bite back a laugh. The endgame even showed a replay of how badly the tank and support of the red team messed up that last minute of the match.

 

***

 

“You’ve got to admit, it was pretty funny,” Woojin said as he lugged his duffle bag and a large suitcase up the stairs. 

 

Jihoon was two steps behind, carrying a multicolor suitcase and a black backpack. He wondered how long it would take the building management to get the elevator fixed - because trudging up three flights of stairs everyday wasn’t how he wanted to spend everyday of his college life. 

 

“It still isn’t funny, and I still have that  _ Realdefdanik _ asshole blocked across every possible game and social media account I have,” Jihoon pouted as they reached their floor again. Woojin fiddled with the keys, but Jihoon noticed that the door was already slightly ajar.  

 

“I guess our roommates are in,” Jihoon whispered as he pushed the door open and wheeled his stuff in. They were greeted by the appearance of a junior with a thick mop of hair standing in the middle of the room in only his boxers.

 

“Oh,” the boy greeted, reaching for a towel and the clothes he haphazardly threw onto one of the beds. Jihoon suppressed an eyeroll.  _ Guess I’m not picking that bed,  _ he thought to himself. “You must be the new kids,” the older boy started putting on his tracksuit. 

 

“I’m Kim Jaehwan, third year; music program. Roommate #4 will be here shortly - he just had to use the common toilet at the end of the hall.” 

 

Jihoon and Woojin introduced themselves afterwards, and played rock-paper-scissors to decide on who sleeps on top and on the bottom of the bunk bed. 

 

Thankfully, Jihoon wins and he gets to pick top bunk. He threw his backpack up and climbed to check out the real estate - only to be interrupted by Jaehwan casually walking around his box. 

 

“You play too?” Jaehwan mused, checking out the gaming rig inside the layers of foam before he picked up the guitar that was on his corner of the room. 

 

“Ah, yeah,” Jihoon replied as he sat on his bed. The ceiling was a bit too close for his liking, but he will manage. “Almost got into regionals, too.”

 

“You’ll get along fine with Mr. Kang, then,” Jaehwan hummed. “ _ He _ almost got into regionals, too.”

 

“Roommate #4?” Woojin asked as he unpacked his own things onto his bed.

 

“The one and only,” came a husky voice from the doorway before Jaehwan could answer.

 

Jihoon’s blood ran cold at the sound of the familiar voice. He didn’t think anyone would have this much bad luck in one lifetime - let alone this much bad luck in the span of only two months. He was polite, he kept his grades up, he exercised and ate right, he loved his family...all in all, Jihoon didn’t think he deserved this.

 

His eyes blew wide as he watched his arch-nemesis enter the room, and he imagined the nightmare of spending the next two or three years in the constant presence of evil. 

 

Leaning on the doorway, smiling like the innocent angel he was  _ most definitely not,  _ was the Giggly Creep himself. 

 

_ Realdefdanik _ .

 

Woojin crashed into his bed laughing.


	2. Level One: First Week, First Crush

It took all of the first week in school for Jihoon to properly assess the situation - public enemy #1 Kang Daniel was a junior in the dance program, so Woojin naturally adored the older boy. 

 

Jihoon had screamed betrayal at his best friend, who did nothing more than shrug and say that Daniel happened to be an incredible sunbae and was one of the best teaching assistants in his class. 

 

Even Kim Jaehwan, the other junior in Room 9699, attested to the fact that Daniel was a “nice guy.”

 

Jihoon sighed. Kim Jaehwan was like the token _ bard _ of the party - good for morale, fairly innocuous, just really loud - so Jihoon classified him as  _ harmless _ . His other roommate, unfortunately, was a whole other thing entirely - Kang Daniel was some sort of campus crush who should  _ not _ be antagonized lest he be attacked by hordes of fans. 

 

He was apparently the  _ star _ of the dance program, specializing in modern dance and b-boy, but still managing to pull off whatever mainstream performance was required of him. The stories that went around about him was almost legendary - he was already doing backup dances for big stars even when he was in highschool, and he had an impressive number of connections in the industry. One of the most successful fundraisers the student council ever had was one where you get a small kiss from Kang Daniel for a small donation. 

 

...and he was also very, very,  _ very _ hot. 

 

( _ Some idiot’s words, not Jihoon’s. _ ) 

 

Nonetheless, Jihoon is reminded of how much of a  _ jerk _ Daniel had been at the game from months ago, and suddenly he didn’t care if Kang Daniel was the main boss of this entire level called College. He had to take him down. 

 

Or at least not be his best friend. 

 

Or you know, be that one annoying fly in his life just to piss the older boy off enough to count as  _ revenge _ . 

 

It did not help at all that the huge boy had  _ tried _ to apologize after realizing how much of a grudge Jihoon held against him - only to end up laughing because that qualifiers game really was the funniest thing that had happened to him in-game. 

 

It also did not help  _ one bit _ that the older boy ground his teeth when he slept, sleep-talked so much that Jihoon was sure he was partly awake, and that he owned the top bunk right across Jihoon - so he had no choice but to wake up and see the bane of his existence every morning. 

 

To Daniel’s credit, he was nice enough - he helped Jihoon and Woojin get to their respective classrooms during their first day, tipped them what was the best time to get food and from which cafeteria, and even offered to play a few rounds of The Game with Jihoon when none of his usual crew wanted to play (“Like hell I’d play with him ever again,” Jihoon scoffed to Woojin during one of their lunch breaks). 

 

It was like having one of those free senior buddies even before the Freshmen Orientation party, where freshmen students were matched with juniors and seniors who would guide them through the treacherous paths of college life. 

 

However, this particular junior was still the  _ fuckiest _ fuckboy to have ever been born, Jihoon decided, catching Kang Daniel locking lips with a new girl or a new boy almost every day just outside their dorm room. He had half a mind to shout, “Get a room!” but the very real fear of Daniel tainting their shared room with  _ whatever it is fuckboys do  _ made him just grind his teeth and walk past the older boy on his way in. 

 

He’s broken from his thoughts on scheming up the best possible way to make Kang Daniel’s life a living hell when the bell rang and the professor in front stood up with a sheaf of papers. His last class for the week, and then he’ll have the entire weekend to lock himself up in a room and game. 

 

“Pass it around,” the professor animatedly gestured and Jihoon absent-mindedly grabbed one from his seatmate before politely reaching over the aisle to hand it over to another student in his class. He quickly scanned the paper to check what he’d have to deal with for this semester, and found himself suppressing a smile. 

 

_ Theatre 101.  _

 

“I am professor Jo,” the professor crossed his hands behind his back as he paced the front of the auditorium. “And I’m pretty sure most of you have had your fill of general education classes these past few days.” 

 

Jihoon excitedly leaned forward to listen better - he had to deal with four days of General Education classes that he cared nothing for (Woojin likewise whined about being put in the same Physics and Calculus class as Jihoon), but now he was finally sitting in the only class he looked forward to for this semester. 

 

“Today, we’ll just be doing quick introductions and then a run-through of the syllabus.” Professor Jo continued, “If you have any questions, this is my teaching assistant right here.” 

 

Professor Jo dramatically waved an arm over to one corner of the room, where a black-haired student stood up and gave a low bow. 

 

Jihoon felt his breath catch in his throat. He knew he was going to fall in love in college - he just didn’t expect it to happen during his first week.  _ Okay _ , maybe he was being dramatic with ‘falling in love’, but this was definitely going to evolve into a fat crush. 

 

“Nice meeting everyone, my name is Ong Seongwoo,” the black-haired boy smirked, “I’m a senior in the acting program.” 

 

_ And he had to have a nice voice too, _ Jihoon internally groaned, feeling his heart warm up. 

 

“And one of our best,” Professor Jo added, putting a finger under his chin. “He’s already starred in a couple of music videos.” 

 

Jihoon could feel the wave of admiration for the tall boy from the entire class, but he hoped that his admiration will far surpass anyone else’s. 

 

He made a mental note to search for Ong Seongwoo and his music videos later. 

 

***

 

“I’m free!” Jihoon announced his entrance to the dorm room with a loud shout, dropping his bag almost at the doorway as he took off his shoes and hoodie. “I can play games again!” 

 

“Congratulations,” Daniel’s voice came from the top bunk, the older boy looked like he was watching a movie on his phone and munching on some gummy worms. “Want to play a round?”

 

Jihoon’s eyes narrowed. He thought Woojin was already back at the dorm, but it seemed like it was only him and Dumbniel for the time being. 

 

“I don’t feel like it after all,” Jihoon nonchalantly replied, climbing up onto his bed. Maybe he can grab some money and hang out at the cafeteria - anything to  _ not  _ be stuck at the dorm room with Daniel. 

 

“Come on,  _ JiJiJi _ ,” Daniel cooed, and the way his voice lilted up into a teasing tone was directly aimed at Jihoon’s competitive side. The older boy hopped down, and Jihoon was forced to look at those abnormally long legs and abnormally wide shoulders dressed only in a tank top and shorts. “You just don’t want to play because you know you can’t win.”

 

“I’m not about to be threatened by a support main who sabotages his team’s chance at a victory,” Jihoon replied coolly, hopping down from the bed as well to make his way back out of the room. 

 

“Get over it, Jihoon,” Daniel decided that if Park Jihoon didn’t want to play nice, he didn’t have to either. He sat down in front of his computer and tapped on his knee as he waited for the loading screen to buffer. “If you played half the game a normal carry could, then you wouldn’t have to pin that whole loss on me.” 

 

“Move over,” Jihoon huffed, dropping on the seat beside Daniel’s, flicking his mouse alive. “If I win, you’re not sleeping in this room tonight.”

 

“If I win,” Daniel mused, smirking as he scrolled through which arena they would be playing at for the evening, “I’m sleeping on your bed tonight.” 

 

Daniel glanced over at Jihoon’s direction and threw a bright smile. “With you.” 

 

“Like hell you would,” Jihoon hissed, quickly keying in a selected character. 

 

“Scared, Park?” Daniel challenged, enjoying how easy it was to bait the younger into his bidding. 

 

“It’s a deal then,” Jihoon scowled at him, hunching over carefully as the game started.

  
  


***

  
  


“Daniel?” Jaehwan nearly tripped on the figure on the hallway on his way back to their room, draped only in a thin, worn blanket decorated with crocodile patterns. 

  
There was only a displeased grunt in response as the blanketed figure rolled to his side and pulled a pillow over his ears.

 

“What the hell are you doing out here?” Jaehwan lightly kicked his friend’s ribs before a realization hit him. “Oh my god, did you lock us out  _ again _ ?” 

 

“No, the Park boys are in, just knock,” Daniel grunted, refusing to budge.

 

“You’re terrorizing poor little Park Jihoon again, aren’t you,” Jihoon narrowed his eyes but turned to the door - it wasn’t even locked. “I told you to make peace with him, and be extra nice to him, but you keep making up these stories that he’s a brat when he’s been nothing but a little angel. He cleans up the room, too.” 

 

“He’s terrorizing  _ me _ ,” Daniel groaned.

 

Jaehwan rolled his eyes and turned the knob and cheerily greeted, “Well, have a good evening, Niel.” 

 

Jaehwan entered the room to find the two freshmen playing some sort of card game on the carpet in between the bunk beds. 

 

“What happened to the huge lump outside?” Jaehwan tilted his head as he puts down the guitar bag on one corner of the room. 

 

“I got his bed for the evening,” Jihoon looked up. “Care to join us?”

 

“Why, what happened with your bed?” Jaehwan asked, worried as he kicked off his shoes and joined the two boys. Woojin promptly handed him a set of cards that he had just dealt.

 

“Nothing, it’s my bed too,” Jihoon responded, a mischievous smirk on his lips.

 

When Jaehwan wore a strange expression on his face, Woojin added, “Jihoon’s too fat for his own bed, he needs two.” 

 

Jihoon slammed a palm behind his best friend’s head, causing Jaehwan to flinch from where he was seated. So Park Jihoon wasn’t “poor little Park Jihoon” after all. 

 

“Your turn, hyung,” Jihoon pulled out a full house and smiled sweetly - and Jaehwan started thinking that maybe Daniel was in a safer place outside in the hallway after all. 

 

***

 

“I swear Jihoon,” Woojin grumbled as he bit into his sandwich. “You have got to get over this petty one-sided rivalry with Niel-hyung.” 

 

“Oh, it’s Niel-hyung now, is it?” Jihoon shot back before mumbling, “You traitor.” 

 

“Hoonie,” Woojin rolled his eyes. “I know you’re trying to impress that whoever teaching assistant in your theater class, but not everything has to be dramatic betrayal.” 

 

“First of all,” Jihoon drank down the iced tea that they had been sharing. “He’s not a whoever teaching assistant, he’s the best in his class.” 

 

“Niel-hyung is also the best in his class,” Woojin chimed in, and Jihoon shushed him immediately, holding up a finger against his lips. 

 

“Don’t you dare blaspheme the name of Ong Seongwoo by comparing him to he-who-must-not-be-named,” Jihoon said. 

 

“I can’t help it,” Woojin grinned, eyes brightening before he swatted Jihoon’s hands away. “Not when I see them both at the same time.” 

 

Woojin raised a hand to point at something behind Jihoon, and the older Park quickly whipped his head around to see.

 

He internally groaned at the sight before him: the despicable Kang Daniel with an arm around precious angel Ong Seongwoo, the both of them laughing at nothing in particular. 

 

“I just remembered, Daniel-hyung told me that Ong Seongwoo  is his childhood bestfriend,” Woojin laughed at the surprised expression on Jihoon’s face. “So you know, I could ask him to make the introduction if you’re really intent on pursuing your dreamboy over there.” 

 

As if Jihoon needed any more reason to hate Kang Daniel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly had no plans to update this one but it was a special request from @winkparks and it's her birthday today! Unfortunately we don't get to the fluff part until much later, but the good news is I actually outlined this fic, so next update will be a lot sooner than the nine months it took for me to update with the second chapter!
> 
> Comments and kudos are very much appreciated :3


	3. Level Two: Princess

Daniel woke up to the sound of one of his roommates playing a campaign on their mobile phone, and after a few minutes attempting to narrow down the suspects, he cracked one of his eyes open to see who the offender was.

 

He’s met with the focused face of Park Jihoon, wearing a cloth headband on his head to keep his brown bangs away from his face; expression twisted into a solemn concentration, eyes trained on the screen, lips slightly puckered. Daniel saw the way the younger’s fingers flew across the small glass screen of his phone, and he smirked under his covers. 

 

“Trying to one up my score?” Daniel croaked, voice still heavy with sleep, but he’s pleasantly surprised when Jihoon’s face registered shock and was distracted from his game for a split second. 

 

“Ya!” the younger shouted angrily, attention quickly steered back to the game. His back stiffened and Daniel could only surmise that he had cost the younger a few points. 

 

Daniel continued watching the younger boy from across his own top bunk, and he decided that no matter how much Jihoon was a snarky, bratty pain in the ass who held grudges tighter than a mother holds a newborn child, he was also ridiculously,  _ unfairly _ handsome. 

 

Daniel let his mind wander to what those puckered lips would feel like on his own, what those fingers would feel like running through his hair, and what Park Jihoon would sound like when he- 

  
He’s broken from his thoughts when Jihoon throws his phone away, glaring accusingly at Daniel from his bed and growled, “I lost.” 

 

Daniel rolled his eyes. Fantasizing over Park Jihoon was only good when the younger wasn’t trying to bite his head off. 

 

“Can you stop blaming me for every single game you lose?” Daniel mumbled, pulling the covers up as he turned to face the wall instead. “Ever occurred to you that I still hold high score for that game because I’m actually a better player?”

 

“Do you want to sleep outside again?” Jihoon deadpanned, but Daniel could hear the sounds of a new campaign being started. 

 

“You just got lucky, Park,” Daniel groaned, muffled under the covers.

 

“Can the two of you shut up for like, five minutes, and let your other roommates sleep?” Jaehwan kicked the bottom of Daniel’s bed from the lower bunk. 

 

“Woojin’s sleeping fine, hyung,” Jihoon put on a sweet voice, stretched his head out to shoot the other boy an apologetic smile. 

 

“That’s because Woojin isn’t dead-ass nervous for a recital tomorrow, so can you two please  call it a truce and go to sleep?” Jaehwan grumpily replied, and Jihoon gave him a small salute.

 

Jihoon was about to set the alarm on his phone when a notification popped out on his screen.

 

A game invite from  _ realdefdanik _ . 

 

Jihoon quickly pressed the reject button.  _ Like hell I’d want to play with you _ .

 

The notification popped up again as Jihoon stared daggers into Daniel’s back - the older boy was still facing the wall and pretending to be asleep. 

 

_ Reject. _

 

The notification popped up a third time, but this one had a special message that came along with it: _a chicken emoji_.

 

Jihoon rocked his volume down to mute and pulled his blanket over his head, faced the wall and accepted the fact that he had to deal with Woojin’s snoring as his background music.

 

_ Accept _ .

  
  


***

  
"Daniel, if I hear you rant one more time about that Park boy from my major, I am going to choke you," Seongwoo said, stretching back into his seat.

 

"He's a little jerkwad," Daniel reasoned.

 

"Well, you're not being completely mature about this either," Jaehwan piped in. "Challenging the boy to a bet? And the prize you win is sleeping on his bed?"

 

"Daniel, he's a freshman!" Seongwoo looked outraged. "Is there no limit to whose pants you want to get in?"

 

"Hey, I  _ thought  _ he _was_ cute," Daniel waved a hand in front of his face. "Past tense. Now he's just a royal pain."

 

" _The other Park kid is pretty cool, but Park Jihoon?_ " Jaehwan imitated Daniel's whining. 

 

“Introduce us!” Seongwoo screeched in Daniel’s ear. “I’ve seen him in the theatre class I’m helping out with, but haven’t had a chance to really talk to him.” 

 

“Sure, you like him now, ‘cause he’s sitting there all cute and obedient,” Daniel pushed his friend away. “But he turns into something else entirely when no one’s looking. Or rather - when  _ I’m _ the only one looking.” 

 

Seongwoo fixes his gaze on Daniel from across the table, silence and a knowing smirk on his lips. 

 

“What?” Daniel tips his head to face his friend, taking a straw in his mouth to sip on a yogurt drink.

 

“You tried to get into his pants and he rejected you, didn’t he?” 

 

Daniel scrunched his face at his friend.

 

“Come on, Daniel, I know your type.” Seongwoo pretended to buff his nails on his shirt. “And Park Jihoon is definitely prey-material for you.” 

 

“Pray material, you mean,” Daniel corrected. “I keep  _ praying _ for him to stop hissing at me whenever we’re within speaking distance. I swear I need to buy a small water spray so I can spritz him whenever he growls at me.”

 

“He needs to get a taser so he can protect himself from sex offenders like you,” Seongwoo replied coolly. 

 

“Like hell I’d touch that kid with a ten-foot pole?” Daniel scoffed. He decided that maybe telling his best friend that he stayed up until 3 AM just trying to beat the  _ kid _ in question in a versus mode of his favorite mobile game.

 

“Then you wouldn’t mind?” Seongwoo waved a hand, smirk still playing on those lips.

 

“Mind what?” Daniel replied, pulling out his phone to check if Jihoon had accepted the challenge he sent before he left their dorm room earlier. No reply meant the kid was probably being a brat again, or he was out with Woojin scouting for  _ something they needed for a party _ .

 

“That I become his senior buddy for the year?” Seongwoo continued. “Professor Jo loves me, I bet I can rig how buddies are assigned.” 

 

Daniel raised an eyebrow at his best friend before cracking a smile. Seongwoo was his best friend, yes - but he also knew that Seongwoo was a handful - and not exactly the most reliable buddy to be assigned to.

 

“I almost feel bad for poor Jihoonie now,” Daniel teased, earning a whine of protest from Ong Seongwoo. “Go right ahead.”

  
  


***

  
  


Jihoon sat in the middle of the crowd at the freshman party, uncomfortable not just with the amount of people in a single hall, but also with the loud music that prevented any meaningful conversation and the throng of kids who subscribed to the belief that college was for getting wasted.

 

Most uncomfortable of all was the attire he had to wear to sit through this whole ordeal, like parties weren’t already punishment enough. Jihoon pulled at his cheap white gloves and scratched at the wig on top of his head that was already annoying him half to death.

 

_ Whoever had that brilliant plan of making the Freshman Initiation Party a Costume party was an absolute moron and deserved to fail their next midterm. _

 

He sat there, miserable in the only costume that was left at the store when he and Woojin got there for the cheapest rental available - and they had to literally fight for whoever got the better costume.

 

Despite Jihoon’s skill in eSports, games of luck were never his strong suit. 

 

So while Woojin was walking the floor proudly in his Disney Prince costume, trying to introduce him to everyone from the freshman dance major - Jihoon hopes that none of his classmates recognize him with the orange braided wig, the overdone blush on his high cheeks, the dress and the boots and the cape and the Disney Princess showtunes that came along with it.

 

What aggravated the situation was people he didn't know kept asking Woojin about his  _ girlfriend _ , and the younger Park would burst out laughing before explaining that “Princess Anna” had the shoulders of a henchman and the thighs of a professional wrestler.

 

Jihoon laughed along, taking Woojin’s hand in his and crushing them until the boy yelped in pain and wriggled from his grasp - and all the other freshmen immediately decided that the two Park boys weren’t too bad. One of them barely looked like a _boy_ at all.

 

Jihoon sighed. He didn’t want to be known to the entire student body as the crossdresser from the freshman party.

 

“Why the long face, princess,” a voice behind him greeted, and Jihoon spun around to see the only real reason he came to this party in the first place.

 

_ Ong Seongwoo. _

 

The black-haired boy passed Jihoon a cup as he took the barstool beside him. 

 

Jihoon bit his tongue, because  _ of course _ , Seongwoo is dressed up as a prince - not the _annoying-childhood-friend-Woojin-dressed-as-a-prince_ , but _handsome-future-boyfriend-dressed-as-a-prince_ kind.  

 

“Please, no more princess comments,” Jihoon whined. “One more and I’ll rip the padding from my chest and shove it down someone’s throat.”

 

“And I don’t want to be the poor sap who chokes on a fake boob,” Seongwoo laughed and gestured at the cup Jihoon was now holding. “I’m not sure how well you can handle alcohol, but as your senior buddy - I’m not supposed to give you any at all.”

 

“Senior buddy?” Jihoon raised an eyebrow. He was wondering who he would get as a buddy all evening, secretly hoping that it was Ong Seongwoo - and now it seemed he got his wish. He couldn’t help the smile forming on his lips. “Took you long enough to introduce yourself, I thought I was orphaned.”

 

“As I told you, I was trying to  _ not _ give you alcohol,” Seongwoo defended, bright eyes sparkling and voice raised over the din of the loud party music.

 

“So what is this?” Jihoon tilted the cup over to examine the contents before bringing it to his nose for a quick sniff. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at the taller senior, and he sure as hell hoped that batting his mascara-coated eyelashes counted as flirting.

 

“Apple juice,” Seongwoo clinked his own cup with Jihoon’s before throwing him a sly wink. “You can get hammered when I’m not around, but once you’re sick of hangovers you’ll start carrying around a flask of apple juice like I do.”

 

“That makes you sound like a grandpa,” Jihoon laughed and took a sip of the juice while Seongwoo downed his beer. Seongwoo leaned on one of the cocktail tables and pretended to be offended.

 

“The first time I try to act responsible for my freshman buddy and I get accused of being old?” Seongwoo pouted, earning snickers from Jihoon. “Maybe next time I’ll just relent and give your number to all the seniors who came in here and asked me who my pretty girl is.” 

 

Jihoon groaned internally, but decided that his flirting game must remain strong. “So, you think I’m pretty?” 

 

Seongwoo raised both eyebrows and pursed his lips comedically, before letting out a breath and a laugh. “Oh my god, you’re better at this than I thought.” 

 

Jihoon exaggeratedly flipped the braided wig over his shoulders, earning a few more laughs from his senior.

 

***

 

“Did you honestly ask Seongwoo-hyung to assign Woojin as your freshman buddy?” Jaehwan looked back at Daniel, who was sitting in front of the computer screen, playing yet another round of one of those games he could never understand. He strummed a single chord.

 

“Yeah,” Daniel replied, reaching down to take a gulp from the beer can on the floor. “He’s a cool kid.”

 

“It’s supposed to be random, you cheater,” Jaehwan huffed. “Just admit that you didn’t want to go to the freshman welcoming party, and that you requested your roommate to be your buddy because you’re too lazy to bother with anyone else.”

 

“It’s a good deal, Jaehwannie,” Daniel replied, setting the beer can back down on the floor. “We walk to class together, we come home together, everything’s so  _ convenient _ .” 

 

“And then there’s the rest of us who have to deal with freshmen who live all the way at the first-year dorms and won't show up until next week,” Jaehwan groaned, looking at the letter he received from the office of student affairs. “This Daehwi kid I got better be a musical genius considering the classes he's already missing.”

 

“So  _ that’s _ why you aren’t at that freshman party,” Daniel swiveled his chair to face his roommate. “I thought you just wanted to bail on a poor kid.”

 

“I’m not you, Niel,” Jaehwan replied, flicking a pick at his friend. “It’s a good thing Woojin has Jihoon to go with, considering his junior buddy didn’t want to escort him to the party.”

 

“They’re old enough, they don’t need buddies for parties,” Daniel argued.

 

“Why are you playing games on a Saturday night anyway?” Jaehwan suddenly asked, remembering that having Daniel playing online games on a weekend night wasn’t a regular occurrence. “Ran out of boys and girls who would say yes to you?” 

 

“It’s harder to arrange my nightly rendezvous when there’s  _ three _ other people in the room,” Daniel rolled his eyes. “It was easy enough to kick  _ you _ out of the room when it was just the two of us, but the two Parks just enjoy lounging around this room like it’s special.”

 

Daniel raised his phone as proof. “See this? Three people asking if I’m free tonight and if they can come over. Those two brats better set me up with their hot upperclassmen someday because I'm rejecting all three of these booty calls.”

 

There’s a slight twinkle in Jaehwan’s eyes as he dropped his guitar to its stand and puts elbows to his knees.

 

“If you were to date one of the two Parks, who would it be?” 

 

Daniel immediately shot a disgusted expression at Jaehwan. “You’re implying  _ incest _ . Roommates are family.”

 

“They’re not yet family, Daniel,” Jaehwan rolled his eyes. “They’ve only been here a week so let’s do it while it’s still awkward to see them hanging around naked.” 

 

“Well,” Daniel thought about it. He’d always been able to talk stupid things with Jaehwan, what made this any different? “You go first.” 

 

“I asked first,” Jaehwan countered.

 

“Fine then,” Daniel bit his lip and hummed as he thought. “Park...Jihoon?” 

 

“Ha!” Jaehwan stood up, clapping his hands like he just won some sort of lottery, not an inconsequential piece of trivia extracted from his roommate. “I knew it!” 

 

“Only if he was a girl!” Daniel added, which obviously deflated Jaehwan’s cheering. 

 

“Since when were you choosy?” Jaehwan raised an eyebrow. 

 

“I’m into girls lately,” Daniel replied, masking his nervousness with nonchalance, lifting the can of beer to his mouth. “So, I’ll only date Park Jihoon if he was a girl.” 

 

The door suddenly swung open, interrupting the juvenile conversation between the two roommates, and Jihoon promptly entered, dressed head to toe in his Princess Anna costume.

 

Jaehwan laughed riotously as he watched Daniel choke on his drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote that last scene in December 2017 and only published it now lol Princess Jihanna was so new back then
> 
> Trying to keep a once-every-two/three-days update for this! Let's see if I can keep writing :3 
> 
> Please leave comments/kudos - it motivates me to write and stay on schedule ;)
> 
> PS. we might be seeing Niel x Minhyun in the coming chapters hihi pls look forward to it   
> THIS IS THE WEIRDEST SWITCH UP OF 4WALLS I'VE EVER WRITTEN


	4. Level Three: Duo Queue

Woojin followed hot on Jihoon’s heels, and Jaehwan managed to stop laughing just enough to vaguely gesture for an explanation. Daniel coughed out the last of the beer that had offended his respiratory system.

 

“Freshman Initiation was a costume party,” Woojin offered by way of explanation, closing the door behind him as Jihoon marched over to their bunk and sat down on Woojin’s bed. Daniel wiped away tears as his gaze followed the only person in a dress in the room - only to be met with Jihoon’s signature glare.

 

“Here I thought Woojin was already bringing home a pretty girl from his first freshman party,” Jaehwan joked, laughing through his fingers as he watched Jihoon’s expression sour.

 

“You would not believe how many boys tried to pick me up,” Jihoon groaned, roughly kicking of his heeled boots and throwing away the cheap white gloves to Jaehwan’s bed on the other side.

 

“I didn’t expect it either,” Woojin added, leaning against the swivel chair Daniel was sitting on. “Honestly, who would pick up a boy dressed up in a princess costume?”

 

“Daniel would,” Jaehwan quickly answered, ducking over to his bed before Daniel could throw the beer can at his face.

 

Jihoon fixed Daniel with an _are-you-kidding-me_ glare as he painstakingly removed the hairpins keeping the orange wig in place.

 

“Daniel would pick up anything that moves,” Jihoon agreed after pulling off the wig and shaking his brown hair free.

 

“Excuse you all,” Daniel huffed, turning off the computer as he leaned back on his seat. “Like those fake boobs would fool anyone?”

 

“We got it cheap,” Jihoon shot back, peeling off the velcroed back of the costume and letting the chest padding fall. He picked up one of them to throw it at Daniel’s face. “We’re heading back to the party in proper attire this time.”

 

“Daniel would still pick you up,” Jaehwan mumbled, and Daniel threw him a threatening look.

 

“Like I’d let him?” Jihoon scoffed, stepping out of the costume and pulling on a pink pullover.

 

“Like he’ll even be able to?” Woojin likewise followed, pulling off his coat and boots to throw in a comfortable shirt and high-top sneakers. “I saw you at that buffet table, Hoonie.”

 

The two Parks ended up pushing each other roughly, both half-finished dressing up.

 

Sighing deeply, Daniel stood up to rummage at his own closet, throwing on a hoodie and his favorite sweatpants. “Alright, all of you have pissed me off enough, I’m coming along just to find _one_ freshman who isn’t an immature brat.”

 

***

 

The three boys arrived at the scene of the afterparty (after much resistance from Jihoon and Woojin because it felt a lot like having a chaperone) and there were already freshmen huddled to the side of the venue, throwing up or nearly throwing up. Woojin immediately recognized some classmates and hurried over to their side to join in the video-taking.

 

Daniel deftly sidestepped swaying bodies on the dancefloor, and Jihoon didn’t realize the effect the junior had until he saw him in this environment - snapback pulled low over his eyes, broad shoulders and strong arms leaning against the bar to order a beer, handsome face ready to offer anyone a charming smile.

 

If someone put a gun to Jihoon’s head and told him to honestly spit out what he thought of Kang Daniel, then he’d have to say that Kang Daniel was a very, very, _very_ handsome man.

 

Afterwards he’d beg to be shot because no way in hell was he living with himself if he ever admitted that out loud.  

 

“How much can you take, Park?” Daniel suddenly leaned over, handing Jihoon an ice-cold can.

 

“Probably as much as you,” Jihoon lied between his teeth,  a challenging expression in his eyes before he accepted the can. He had no idea what his tolerance was, and he’s pretty sure that Daniel took his alcohol quite well if the beercans in their room were any indication.

 

“Show me,” Daniel smirked, his own can resting on his lips and a dangerous expression in his eyes.

 

Jihoon flushed a bit at how he’s soon going to be eating his words, but he cracks open the can and holds it up to Daniel for a toast. If he’s going down, he’s not going down without a fight.

 

“Bottoms up,” Jihoon replied, hitting Daniel’s can with his own and bringing the beverage closer to his lips when-

 

“Nope!” Seongwoo’s voice rumbled beside him as the older boy leaned forward against Jihoon’s back, arms draped over the younger’s shoulders. “I did not let you out of my sight to be seduced by some alcoholic junior.”

 

Daniel groaned good naturedly as he watched Jihoon flush and pout - Seongwoo had taken Jihoon’s can in one action and held it up to his own lips. “Seongwoo, let the boy have some fun.”

 

“Not with you,” Seongwoo wagged a finger and took a seat in between them. “Fun with you rarely ends up with clothes still on.”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “I told you, I won’t make passes at your freshman buddy.”

 

Jihoon coughed. “I’m right here,” Jihoon piped up, face still flushed at the earlier contact with Ong Seongwoo. Daniel noticed the too-long lingering glances Jihoon shot at his bestfriend, and he shook his head.

 

“If you need me, I’ll be on the dance floor,” Daniel waved a hand and stood up, leaving the two together.

 

“Okay, college trivia number one,” Seongwoo leaned forward on his knees when Daniel had left. “Kang Daniel talks big, but he’s actually a sweet pup. Take it from me, I was there when he was panicking over his first kiss and whether or not it would get him sick.”

 

“Hyung,” Jihoon raised up a hand, still floating on the fact that Ong Seongwoo is his senior buddy and they got to have a one-on-one talk two times in one night. “I hate his guts. I know you’re best friends and all, but he still owes me bigtime.”

 

“That’s fair,” Seongwoo nodded and raised a phone with Jihoon’s details already entered. He probably pulled it up from Jihoon’s student file. “Two, you wouldn’t mind if I entered your name for the collegiate eSports tournament?”

 

“Mind? I’d love that,” Jihoon dreamily gazed at the handsome man. He could listen to Ong Seongwoo speak forever, and he was pleasantly surprised to hear that the senior knew about the game. He was ready to do just about anything the older asked - he didn’t expect it to be something he loved as well.

 

_Maybe they were soulmates?_

 

Jihoon could already imagine them on duo queue, flirting throughout a campaign, he’d confess to Ong Seongwoo over a Discord call-

 

“Okay, that’s a done deal then,” Seongwoo pressed enter in the online application form and stood up to wave at someone on the dance floor. “Hey Daniel, I found you a teammate!”

 

Jihoon’s eyes widened in horror.

 

***

 

“Why’d you sign up in the first place!” Daniel shouted, trying to scroll down the terms and conditions. He had dragged Park Jihoon out of the party and back to their dorm room, desperate to have this resolved as soon as possible.

 

“I didn’t think Seongwoo-hyung was talking about _you_ ,” Jihoon groaned, hovering over Daniel as the older boy tried to undo the application. “I thought there was some sort of acting majors’ gaming group.”

 

“Well, I can’t un-teammate you,” Daniel throws his phone onto the table. It seemed that whoever was entered as a teammate on the online form was final - and Daniel makes a mental note to cuss out whoever was on IT duty for the collegiate eSports applications. Bad UI and bad database management.

 

“So the disaster gaming duo rides again?” Jaehwan offered unhelpfully from his lounging position in his bed.

 

Kang and Park replied in a duet of unhelpful whines.

 

***

 

“Okay, we’re teammates whether you like it or not,” Daniel trotted beside Jihoon, who was still grumpily huffing his way to his first class of the week. “And the games start this weekend, so can you just suck it up and let me know when you’re free to play?”

 

“It’s not like I have a choice!” Jihoon replied, stopping in his tracks. “9 PM, our room,  and I’m going to make sure you don’t get any sleep tonight!”

 

“I’ll play you so hard you wouldn’t be able to attend class tomorrow, Park,” Daniel scoffed. _Of all the brown-haired brats in all the world, he had to be stuck with this one._

 

“Can you,” Woojin massaged his temples and stepped in between them with an embarrassed expression on his face. He had been nursing a headache all morning and he didn’t need his two idiot roommates arguing for the nth time since the weekend. And in the middle of the campus where everyone can hear. “Can you please stop giving all these people the wrong idea with your suggestive choice of words? People know we’re all roommates and I can’t have them thinking you two go at it every night.”

 

“Well, if Jihoon wants to have a chance at winning, we’ll have to go at it every night!” Daniel raised his voice, ignoring the shushing from his freshman buddy.

 

Someone shouts a, “ _Good for you Kang Daniel!_ ” followed by a wolf-whistle, and Jihoon gritted his teeth.

 

“What the fuck,” Jihoon yelled back at whoever that was, “I’m not sleeping with him!”

 

“ _You should!_ ” Someone else shouted back, followed by scattered laughter. Jihoon pulled Woojin by the wrist and stomped his way to Physics.

 

***

 

Jaehwan and Woojin excused themselves for the evening, claiming that they will be bonding over convenience store ramyeon, which was infinitely better than listening to the newly-formed gaming duo bicker all night.

 

“Why are you using _that_ hero?” Jihoon screeched, sitting in front of his gaming rig that was beside Daniel’s own. “They just got nerfed, how do you expect to win with that!”

 

“Can you mind your own business,” Daniel growled. He had been waiting for this competition all year, and Seongwoo had to ruin it with his Good Samaritan intentions.

 

( _“I thought it would be good for the two of you to be friends!” Seongwoo held up hands to his face as Daniel pushed him against the wall a few nights back._

 

_“I also think it would be good if I sent your mom a letter telling her how you died in a barfight,” Daniel shot back, letting Seongwoo’s lapels go._

 

_“Seongwoo-hyung, I trusted you,” Jihoon whined. “I don’t want my college eSports debut to be linked to this creep!”_

 

_“He’s a good player, Jihoon,” Seongwoo offered, and Daniel had pulled the younger boy by the wrist, the two of them storming back home to their dorm to find a solution.)_

 

After a heated debate on why their chosen mains were the worst possible choice, the game started and Jihoon nervously flitted around the arena trying to keep his avatar alive.

 

“Do some damage,” Daniel commanded after a few minutes of avoiding the competition. Daniel wiped his face with both hands and sighed. “You need to learn to trust me, Jihoon.”

 

“We’re playing _ranked_ ,” Jihoon replied, eyes fixed on the screen as his fingers flew on the keyboard. “You’re not the one with the most risk because I’m the one who has to die over and over.”

 

“Jihoon,” Daniel took off his hands from the keys when their avatars were safely hidden in a far corner of the arena map. “Jihoon, can you look at me for a sec?”  
  
Jihoon took off his headset and reluctantly looked at Daniel, wild panic in his eyes at the prospect of ranking down.

 

“I won’t let you die,” Daniel’s voice was calm, calmer than the older boy expected it to come out. Something about the younger boy’s frightened doe eyes managed to bring out some sort of protective instinct he didn’t know he had. “I know I fucked up that other game but...just, please trust me, okay? We both have something on the line here.”

 

Jihoon sighed.

 

_They can’t keep fighting like this if they both needed to win._

 

So Jihoon reloaded his character’s magazine and took a deep breath.

 

“Kang Daniel,” Jihoon whispered, almost a prayer, “My life is in your hands.”

 

*

 

The match went better than expected, Jihoon going all-out berserk on their on-screen competitors; figuring that if he was going to die, he’d might as well take down as many enemies as possible.

 

Jihoon barely had time to think about how _alive_ his character was until the screen’s edges blurred red and his mind immediately panicked at losing a life and ranking down before they even played for the qualifiers that weekend.

 

Jihoon tilted his head to look at the junior beside him. “Daniel-hyung!”

 

Daniel’s face was the picture of calm focus, and his eyes darted quickly to Jihoon before a small smile cracked on his lips. The younger had never called him _hyung_ before. “Eyes on glass, sweetheart - I got you.”

 

True enough, Jihoon’s avatar glows with a green light and his HP bar crawls back up to full - Daniel’s own character running around strategically to plant buffs and wards where needed.

 

Jihoon had to admit that Kang Daniel’s support game was the strongest he’d ever played with.

 

“Let’s see you keep up then,” Jihoon cracked his knuckles before put his fingers back on the board.

 

*

  


Several all-kills later, Daniel finally got a huge, genuine smile out of Park Jihoon.

 

“Okay, fine,” Jihoon rolled his eyes as they leaned back on their seats. “You’re a _decent_ support main.”

 

“Decent?” Daniel grinned. “Did you not notice that you didn’t _die_ , not even _once_ , tonight?”

 

“Yeah, that’s what I said,” Jihoon replied, jutting his lip out and refusing to make eye contact with the older boy. “ _Decent_ is already a high enough compliment.”

 

Daniel scratched the back of his head as he lets out a soft laugh. “So, am I forgiven now?”

 

“For what?”

 

“For costing you that regionals game,” Daniel’s expression turned a bit serious. “I just joined to let out steam that day, I didn’t really think about how much you wanted to win it. So, yeah. Sorry.”

 

Jihoon looked at his socks.

 

_He wasn’t the most mature person about that whole thing either._

 

“Nah, it’s alright,” he replied, kicking at nothing in particular as he reclined farther on the chair. “I shouldn’t have let the grudge go on for as long as it had.”

 

“What do you say we make it to collegiate regionals?” Daniel’s eyes brightened. “To make it up for that.”

 

Jihoon scoffed. “Are you kidding me? Our school already has that semi-official gaming team led by that senior Youngjae.”

 

“There’s no rule against having two teams qualify per school,” Daniel hummed. “Play half the game I know you could, and I’m right behind you to support every step of the way.”

 

“Or hurtle into me again and cost me another victory during the last minute of the game?”

 

“Or that.” Daniel smiled sheepishly - far from the usual fuckboy role he took on outside of their dorm room.

 

Jihoon smiled despite himself and threw out a hand for Daniel to take.

 

“Deal.”

 

“Also, a certain little sparrow told me that you’d appreciate it if I played wingman?” Daniel held tightly onto Jihoon’s hand in his.

 

“What, what?” Jihoon’s eyes blew wide, stiffening at Daniel’s words.

 

“I can set you up with Seongwoo,” Daniel smirked, releasing the handshake and patting Jihoon’s shoulder. “Calm down, I think you’ve got a shot.”

 

“Oh my god,” Jihoon groaned, covering his face with both hands. “I hope my bed falls and crushes Woojin tonight.”

 

“So do I set it up or no?”

 

“I-I don’t know!”

 

“Going once,” Daniel counted, enjoying the way Park Jihoon’s ears had reddened.

 

“Daniel-”

 

“Going twice-”

 

“Okay!”

 

Daniel bit his bottom lip before grinning, Park Jihoon was looking up at him with eyes that looked like they were ready to spill with tears at the embarrassment, knuckles white with how hard he clenched his hands.

 

“Relax, Jihoonie,” he cooed, taking those hands again and rubbing over them to get the younger to relax. “If you mess up this date, I can get you a better one.”

 

“Like there’s anyone better than Ong Seongwoo,” Jihoon replied, before catching himself and covering his mouth. He did _not_ need Kang Daniel knowing how massive this crush had gotten.

 

“Me,” Daniel hummed thoughtfully, and Jihoon burst out laughing.

 

“Yeah, _right_ ,” Jihoon giggled, and Daniel felt relieved that he could at least make the boy smile and laugh and feel comfortable. It was a lot better than trying to pick a fight every time they made eye contact.

 

Still, there was a tiny pang in his chest at how easily Park Jihoon had brushed him off.

 

“Yeah,” he laughed softly. “Right.”

 

Just then, Daniel's computer screen gets a huge notification bar on the lower right side, announcing itself with a loud beep because Daniel had pulled off his headphones from the dock. 

 

Jihoon looked at the screen in interest, thinking it was another player honoring him; before realizing that Daniel had suddenly frozen over and that maybe this was something he shouldn't have seen.  
  
  
**_Message from Hwang Minhyun:_**

_Hey Danik :)_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I don't know what kind of game they're playing so I'm trying to keep it as vague as possible ;;; 
> 
> Still trying to keep up with a regular update schedule, thank you so much for the comments so far :D  
> Knowing that people are actually reading this motivates me to continue so please please let me know what you think of it :3 Any idea what will come next? hihi
> 
> See you in the next chapter in a couple of days ' 3 '


	5. Level Four: Lucky

Jihoon fiddled nervously with the zipper of his hoodie as he waited at the school’s auditorium - it was the first time he’d actually see the production of a stage play bigger than what he’d seen in the small school theater back in his hometown.

  
  


_ I can set you up with Seongwoo, my ass _ , Jihoon thought as he scanned the room looking for the object of his affection. _ It’s already been a week and Kang Daniel has done nothing to help my love life. _

 

He had flushed scarlet when his older roommate offered it a few days ago, and while they have been spending more time together since then (late-night food binges after campaigns, strategy-planning during lunchbreaks, celebratory drinks out where Jihoon is always the first to stop), Daniel had never brought it up again. And Jihoon was much too  _ proud _ to do a follow-up.

 

It also didn’t help that all the seniors were too preoccupied to spend time with their freshmen buddies - so Jihoon saw less and less of Ong Seongwoo. When he spotted the tall boy weaving through groups of their seniors, Jihoon decided that he’d confront Daniel about that set-up really, really soon.

 

His classmates were all huddled together on the front row, Professor Jo’s voice carrying around the empty auditorium in a booming echo. Their upperclassmen were running around the stage, working on the set, the lights, the sounds. The cacophony of all the mismatched sounds and the disconcerting flurry of activity were lost on Park Jihoon - his attention was only trained on a tall boy dressed in all black who was conversing with the student director.

 

“This year’s autumn play is called  _ Twenty Questions _ ,” Professor Jo announced, gesturing over to where the seniors were huddled up on stage. “And every seasonal play, they audition a group of freshmen to play as understudies or even get a fixed minor role.”

 

Barely listening, Jihoon shifted in his seat when Ong Seongwoo disappeared into the backstage. 

 

“Park Jihoon,” the professor called the only student in his entire homeroom class who looked uncharacteristically disinterested. 

 

“Sir?” Jihoon blushed as he settled back in his seat, hoping that nobody caught him being a total creep. 

 

“Care to do a script read?” the professor held up a sheet of paper and handed it over to the blushing brunette. “I read your old school’s recommendation letter, you should be cut out for this.” 

 

Jihoon cleared his throat as he carefully scanned the document. “Of which character, sir?” 

 

“Which character do you prefer playing?” 

 

Jihoon’s eyes flitted to the top of the paper, seeing a quick rundown of the characters in the play. “Definitely the rebellious boxer, sir.” 

 

Professor Jo hummed in thought before taking the paper from Jihoon and replacing it with another. Jihoon could feel eyes on him when he read out the description. “Unrequited lover?” 

 

There were small giggles from the class before Professor Jo shushed them all and began to explain, “In this class, I don’t want you to stick to what’s comfortable, or what you  _ think _ you want.” 

 

JIhoon’s throat dried as he read the lines in his head as their professor continued his monologue. “Sometimes, it’s the roles you didn’t think you’d play that will end up as your crowning achievement.” 

 

“In this example, Park Jihoon definitely likes sticking to the action roles, where you evoke a lot of anger and spout lines confidently,” Professor Jo continued as he tapped on Jihoon’s shoulder to move to the front of the auditorium from his seat. “But let’s see how he performs when he needs to channel vulnerability and desperation.” 

 

Jihoon felt like he was sweating bullets, especially when he saw a handwritten note at the bottom of the script.

 

It was the role being played by Ong Seongwoo.

 

***

 

“Well, that didn’t go well,” Seongwoo sat cross-legged on the cafeteria bench across Jihoon, who had his face to the table for the past few minutes. 

 

Jihoon had ended up doing a very stiff read of the script, and could barely channel the emotion needed during the killing part of the dialogue. Seongwoo had to cringe through the whole thing, and offered to have lunch with Jihoon to help him out.

 

“I just froze up, trust me I’m better than this,” Jihoon admitted, head still dropped against the table.  _ He finally got screentime with his stupidly handsome crush and he had to be the embodiment of awkward amateur. _

 

He tried to come up with a way to spin this - act cute, beg for help (and more time with him); but his pride kept reminding him of his stilted performance from earlier and he’d just as well have the ground eat him up right there and never see Ong Seongwoo again.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a very noisy bestfriend and a very giggly ex-archenemy. 

 

“Are we interrupting anything?” Daniel asked, a meaningful tone in his voice and Jihoon wanted to trip the boy right there because  _ this was not the time to bring up that whole set-me-up thing _ . 

 

“What did Hoonie do,” Woojin grinned, dropping his tray on the table and taking the seat beside Jihoon. “I heard the other freshmen talking about him earlier, and it sounded like a pretty funny story.”

 

“He just needs to practice his line reading,” Seongwoo replied, scooching over as Daniel sat down beside him. 

 

“Oh, it’s that seasonal freshman audition thing?” Daniel tipped his head to where Jihoon was still sulking. “What role is he trying out for?” 

 

“Mine,” Seongwoo answered. 

 

“The professor is forcing us to go beyond our comfort zones,” Jihoon groaned, raising his head finally to pick at the rice on his plate. “But this is the last kind of role I want to get. No offense, Seongwoo-hyung.” 

 

“None taken,” Seongwoo raised his hands. “I’ve always been one for drama, mostly because I can’t handle all the physical strain for the action roles and the comedy roles are far too natural for me.” 

 

“So, Jihoon needs to cry onstage?” Woojin poked his friend with a fork. “You used to cry all the time, what’s wrong now?” 

 

“It’s because I can’t even relate to the script!” Jihoon whined. He winced at the recollection of how badly he bombed the line reading, their professor interrupting over and over because he couldn’t feel the emotion from Jihoon. 

 

He had nervously rambled that he had never had an unrequited love, just a few crushes here and there, and the class laughed. As expected of handsome Park Jihoon, with a face that could win him anyone.

 

“What’s the play even about?” Daniel asked in between mouthfuls of mashed potato, and he reached over to grab the crumpled script from Jihoon’s tight grasp.

 

“Oh, no, no,” Seongwoo blocked Daniel’s reaching arm. “The seasonal play is the acting majors’ secret until the first pubmat is relea-”

 

_ RRING. _

 

Daniel and Jihoon simultaneously reached out for their phones, a loud notification from both phones followed by the two suddenly pushing up from the desk with a loud graze of metal chairs against the floor, and the two started shouting incoherently. 

 

“ARE YOU SEEING THIS? ARE YOU SEEING-”

 

“THEY SAID IT WASN’T UNTIL NEXT WEEK? WHY IS IT HAPPENING NOW-”

 

Seongwoo looked like he just had a heart attack and his gaze dropped to where Woojin continued eating as if nothing was happening at their table. The two standing boys were still heatedly discussing something about  _ NOW, NOW?!  _ and  _ YES, NOW, so skip your classes and let’s go! _

 

The two ran off and Seongwoo had to stare at their retreating figures. 

 

“Qualifier matches are starting,” Woojin explained as he calmly sipped on his soup. “They can rack up as many matches as possible in a 5-hour period across the next few weeks, and the highest rankers get to move on to the live matches next month.”

 

Seongwoo waved his hand in dismissal. “I understood nothing in that statement, but I’ve never seen a pair of boys who used to hate each other’s guts  _ that _ well-coordinated.” 

 

***

 

_ By rights, this shouldn’t be happening, _ Jaehwan cursed when he found their room in its state at 11PM. On a school night.

 

Jaehwan was appalled to see the two boys in thin shirts and shorts, comfortably set up in the common area of their room - bottles of water and soda conveniently stacked between them, snacks and pizza within reach, the clothes they had been wearing that afternoon carelessly discarded and thrown to the floor. 

 

Jaehwan nearly tripped on one of Daniel’s sneakers before sidestepping it and tripping on Jihoon’s jeans instead.

 

“This,” Jaehwan grumpily picked up Jihoon’s clothes to throw it up to his bunk, “This is the reason why people think the two of you rushed back to the dorms to screw each other’s brains out.” 

 

“Two more to your left,” Daniel mumbled, completely immersed in what was their fifth campaign of the evening. 

 

“I got them,” Jihoon replied, fingers expertly moving across keys and his avatar bouncing around the arena. “Buff me before I use my ult.” 

 

“Your wish is my command,” Daniel replied, and both boys’ screens seemed to be completely in sync for the next few seconds. Not that Jaehwan understood half of what they were talking about.

 

“Hello?” Jaehwan tried to wave a hand in front of their faces, only to be met by a chorus of  _ YA! _ And grumpy huffs, and the singer had to back off. 

 

After a few minutes of intense grunting and loud shouts and Jaehwan silently praying that the walls were thick enough that their neighbors wouldn’t hear and raise even more rumors about Room 9699 ( _ for fuck’s sake, the number 69 was right there _ ) - Jihoon peeled off his headphone and looked sweetly at his roommate. 

 

“Sorry, Jjaeni-hyung,” the younger boy singsonged. “But we won the last match of the day and we only need a few more to qualify for next month’s tournament.”

 

“So,” Jaehwan picked at his own nails as he reclined on the sofa. “I have two more weeks worth of  _ this _ ? Where is Woojin so we can both stage a protest.”

 

“He’s staying over at a classmate’s dorm because they’re rehearsing some dance number,” Jihoon explained.

 

“Are you sure that’s the reason?” Jaehwan deadpanned, “Because I’m pretty sure he’s sleeping elsewhere so he doesn’t have to deal with this riot right here.” 

 

“I’ll buy you lunch for the rest of the semester,” Daniel offered, pulling off his headphones as well before standing up to stretch and pull his headset off the dock.

 

The max volume of his system transferred to the speakers, prompting consecutive beeps to loudly blast across their room, and Jihoon looked at the screen again to see a bunch of players honoring his support main partner. 

 

Jihoon felt a swell of pride at accidentally being teamed up with someone who seemed to be on the top support leaderboards of the game.

 

Against the rows of other players dropping platitudes in the notifications - he saw that strange one again. 

 

 

**Hwang Minhyun**

 

_ You there? _

 

 

“Hey, Niel-hyung,” Jihoon called as Daniel finished a stretch. “You might’ve missed this note from a Hwang Minhyun.” 

 

Daniel froze again. 

 

“Hwang Minhyun?” Jaehwan tilted his head. “Isn’t he the one you’ve been pining for sinc-”

 

“None of your business,” Daniel interrupted, picking up his jacket from the coathanger. “I’ll just head out to grab some celebratory alcohol.”

 

Jihoon creased his brow before grabbing a jacket as well. “Excuse your ass, I’m celebrating with you.”

 

Daniel nodded as he opened the door before glancing over at Jaehwan. “How about you, Jaehwannie? Want to come along?” 

 

“No thank you,” Jaehwan pulled up a blanket. “After all that screaming in this room? I don’t want to be seen anywhere near the both of you tonight. Bring home some ice cream, though!”

 

Jihoon rolled his eyes as he shut the door closed.

 

***  

 

“If anyone else shoots a dirty look in our general direction,” Jihoon started as he watched Daniel knock back another beer. “I’m going to make a shirt that says  _ we are not dating _ .”

 

“Relax,” Daniel clinks his glass against Jihoon’s alcomix (the only drink the boy can tolerate without dying). “They’re just not used to seeing me out with someone for several consecutive nights.” 

 

“So I become the poor loser who gets mistaken as the idiot who caught your heart?” Jihoon scoffed. 

 

“Aren’t you a lucky boy,” Daniel laughed.

 

“Aren’t  _ you _ a lucky boy,” Jihoon shot back as he took a swig from the bottle he was holding. 

 

Daniel tried to come up with some sort of smart retort, but settled for a smile and silence. Contrary to his expectation and the unbelievable amount of snark Park Jihoon was able to stuff into every single conversation,  he found it very comforting to just hang around with the younger boy. 

 

Everything was just so  _ easy _ \- from the way they talked nonstop about how they could both improve their game, to how Daniel whines about aching muscles after a whole day doing choreographies with Woojin, how Jihoon angrily messes up his hair whenever he couldn’t understand a physics formula (which happened more times than necessary), to late night chicken runs, to just joking around in their room, to this. 

 

The comfortable silence of just knowing that someone had your back. 

 

Daniel had plenty of friends - plenty of best friends too; but something about the younger boy who was quietly sipping his innocuous alcomix beside him gave him a sense of calm. 

 

Probably it came with the trust he had to put on the younger whenever they played matches.

 

Perhaps it was because Park Jihoon was one of a kind. 

 

...or perhaps he’s had too much alcohol already and these thoughts were unnecessary.

 

Daniel caught himself in his thoughts and decided to shift it to safer territory - back to familiar. 

 

“So about that date with Seongwoo,” Daniel said out of the blue, and Jihoon started coughing on his drink.

 

“Trust me, I couldn’t face him after that horrible line reading I did today,” Jihoon groaned, the recollection of the morning’s events burning a new scar of embarrassment on his wounded ego. 

 

“It can’t be all that bad,” Daniel countered, leaning back in his seat. “What kind of challenge is it that the great Park Jihoon can’t do it?” 

 

Jihoon paused for a while, worrying his lower lip - and Daniel’s mind supplied him with the thought that the boy looked both adorable and temptingly sinful at the same time. 

 

_ He really should start hooking up with strangers again to keep his mind off of this line of thinking _ . 

 

“I have to play this desperate boy who’s stuck in an unrequited love,” Jihoon breathed out, “and I...I’ve never felt that before.” 

 

He half-expected Daniel to laugh at him like the others did. 

 

To joke about how that’s the case because Jihoon had always had his pick of boys and girls. To joke about how his hopeless crushing on Ong Seongwoo should be material enough. 

 

Instead, Daniel nodded his head thoughtfully, eyes locked on his.

 

“You’re lucky, I suppose,” Daniel finally said after a few beats of silence, eyes suddenly growing misty. 

 

Jihoon caught the change in expression right away and decided to drop the topic, despite something in him wanting to ask if it had anything to do with a certain Hwang Minhyun. 

 

“Yeah,” Jihoon admitted. “I guess I am.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slow chapter! I tried to cram all the needed events here but I ended up with...6k words...so I decided to cut it down :3 
> 
> YES DEAR READERS THIS IS WHERE DANIEL STARTS CATCHING FEELINGS AND GIVES UP HIS FUCKBOY LIFESTYLE  
> Jihoon's still just a brat
> 
> Please do let me know your thoughts in the comments! I've drafted out two ways this story could turn out, but it all depends on how angsty you would like this to get :3c
> 
> SEE YOU IN THE NEXT UPDATE!


	6. Level Five: Understudy

“I can’t blame you for not choosing me,” Jihoon spat out, piece of paper held up close to his face as his eyes skimmed the lines on the script. “It’s not your fault you don’t want me. It’s mine for wanting someone I could never have!” 

 

“Cut!” Seongwoo raised both arms in a gesture mimicking a slate. 

Jihoon sucked in a breath between his teeth as he dropped the paper onto his lap. “Okay. Give it to me straight.” 

 

“That was pretty bad, considering it’s you,” Woojin commented without missing a beat, popping another potato chip into his mouth.  _ No sugarcoating, as always.  _

 

Jihoon smothered his face with both hands, utterly exhausted. He had spent all his evenings for the past few days racking up points with Daniel at The Game, playing one ruthless round after another until both of them realize that they only have a few hours left before sunrise. 

 

But that was nothing compared to the miniboss event that was his play audition - which he had chosen to avoid as much as possible until his senior buddy Ong Seongwoo showed up at their front door early this morning, rapping loudly; much to all four tenants’ displeasure.

 

Jihoon had only been dressed up in someone’s hoodie (maybe Daniel’s) and someone’s pair of shorts (probably Jaehwan’s) and looking like a complete slob when he grumpily opened the door to tell the knocker to shut the hell up - but immediately changed into a perfect little angel in his Sunday’s best after he had slammed the door in Ong Seongwoo’s face in shock. (Woojin thought that Jihoon’s “Sunday’s best outfit” was barely an upgrade from the loaned hoodie-short combo, but he kept it to himself.)

 

Now it was 10am and they were sitting at the school lawn, Woojin in tow as a pair of objective eyes and because he had nothing better to do before their next class. 

 

“It was good, it was good,” Seongwoo mumbled, long fingers tapping on his jutted chin. “But definitely missing the sincerity of the underlying emotion.”

 

“You should’ve seen Hoonie in all his other roles,” Woojin added, shrugging and leaning back against the grass. “He kills it like he was born to play those characters. I don’t know what’s wrong with him now.”

 

“Tell me, Jihoon,” Seongwoo placed a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder, the younger feeling like it should be one of those moments when butterflies fluttered in his stomach - but all he could feel was a giant hole trying to eat him from the inside out.  _ Why can’t he act this one predictable drama role?  _ Crush on Ong Seongwoo aside, he wanted to impress a well-known senior right now.

 

“Who are you thinking about when you say those lines?”

 

Jihoon bit his lip. He was thinking about some generic character in his head, some made-up Mr. Perfect who looked like he trampled on Jihoon’s affections. Preferably someone who looked like his favorite BTS member.

 

“An idol?” Jihoon ventured, more a question than an answer.

 

“There we go,” Seongwoo picked up the script and smoothed the creases Jihoon had made on it. “You haven’t internalized the role like all those tough guy auditions or clueless boy characters you used to play.”  

 

Jihoon looked up, a mix of admiration and nervousness rising in his chest as Seongwoo continued, “This character has been creating a world revolving around the one he loves - but the one he loves cannot and does not want to be part of it, because their world is someone else. And now he’s trying to come to terms that maybe he should accept that. But it’s difficult to face those fears up front.” 

 

Jihoon nodded along, but felt that familiar pang of pain in his chest. 

 

“So Jihoonie,” Seongwoo breathed in, tone dead serious. “Have you ever been in a position where someone you love wants someone else a lot more than they want you? Did you ever feel like second best despite your best efforts?” 

 

Jihoon felt his mouth dry and that familiar bitter feeling creep up his throat.

 

He didn’t want to go there. He did not spend all those years pushing down those memories and those feelings only for a small acting role to have them come tumbling out and haunting him for days. 

 

Because if he _ does _ internalize this character, this struggle, this  _ reality _ \- he was afraid he’d have to face his own demons.

 

And he wasn’t ready for that. 

 

“Hyung,” Woojin butted in, picking up several blades of grass and childishly throwing it at Jihoon. “I don’t think Hoonie’s that deep; isn’t there any thug or goon character in this play instead?” 

 

“Ya,” Jihoon threw a handful of grass back at his best friend, signature grumpiness turned up to a hundred percent to cover up the gratitude he was feeling. 

 

Woojin of all people would know that Jihoon had been escaping those questions for the longest time.

 

“I’ve only ever had crushes,” Jihoon steered the conversation to safer ground. “And please don’t think I’m bragging but, they almost always like me back.” 

 

Seongwoo smirked, loving how Jihoon didn’t have any of that fake humility shit. Just an honest, straightforward freshman.

 

“So that’s why I like you back,” Seongwoo swiftly answered, earning a jaw drop from both freshmen. “I’m part of your 100% success rate,” 

 

Jihoon’s mouth opened and closed a few times and he felt a blush burn up his cheeks before finally blurting out, “What-what makes you think I have a crush on you, hyung!” 

 

“It’s not  _ what _ ,” Seongwoo smiled, “It’s  _ who _ .” 

 

Seongwoo pulled out a folded piece of paper from his backpack as the two Park boys exchanged eye contact, Jihoon shooting accusing daggers in Woojin’s direction and Woojin protesting his innocence with a very adamant shrug.

 

“And,” Seongwoo continued, opening the paper and holding it up to Jihoon’s face, “I’ll have to take you out on a few dates from now on if I ever want you to be a competent understudy.” 

 

“Jihoon’s your understudy?” Woojin exclaimed, shock upon shock marking his bewildered expression.

 

“Officially, yes.” Seongwoo grinned, turning to Jihoon. “Congratulations, Park Jihoon. So how about it? Our first date- I mean, practice session tonight?” 

 

Jihoon’s eyes blew wide, brain officially shut down, before he stood up flustered and started stomping in the other direction.

 

“Where are you going!” Woojin quickly jumped up after him, bowing to Seongwoo as a quick goodbye.

 

“I’m going to kill him!” Jihoon shouted back. 

 

Seongwoo watched with a smug grin as the two boys jogged away as fast as they could.

  
  


***

  
  


_ The sun is offensively bright today,  _ Daniel thought as he listened to the soft jazz being played at the student cafe. He had finished his classes for the day, and slowly, reluctantly, walked to where he was now sitting. 

 

He had all of thirty minutes to back out and pretend he was sick - but eventually, he found himself face-to-face with the man who was both his sweetest dream and his most beautiful nightmare. 

 

Jet-black hair, porcelain skin, elegant movements, soft flutter of long eyelashes to reveal eyes that were both sharp and warm.

 

Hwang Minhyun.

 

“I was in town and your mom called me to check on you,” Minhyun laughed over the cup of tea he had set down on the small table between them. 

 

Minhyun was now only a small table too far, yet he still felt like a world away. 

 

“I think my mom told her where I was and she figured I was close to your area. It sure took you a while to reply to my messages.” 

 

Daniel smiled, a bit unsure, and proceeded to sip on his Iced Americano. “How’s Busan?”

“Same old, same old,” Minhyun waved a hand before rummaging inside his messenger bag for a small parcel. “Still running my parents’ pharmacy, so you get a small pack of ginseng.” Minhyun gave a knowing smile. “Dad packed it specially for you.” 

 

Daniel grinned at that - remembering all those years before when he would fumble into the pharmacy to ask  _ is Minhyun-hyung done with homework and can he play now _ , only to be assaulted by free multivitamins and herbal supplements from good old Mr. Hwang. 

 

“Thanks,” he reached over for the parcel, racking his brain for a topic, any topic, that would alleviate the heaviness he was feeling. The unmentioned elephant in the room. 

 

“So,” Minhyun interrupted his train of thought with a small cough, the older man leaned over in front of intertwined hands to rest his chin on. “Anyone you’d like to take back home to Busan to meet the parents?” 

 

_ You.  _ Daniel abruptly stopped sipping his Americano, and had to make a conscious effort to stop himself from saying,  _ It’s always been you. _

 

Instead, Daniel sat back on his seat, affecting a casual air that he definitely was not feeling, and tilted his head indignantly. “Nah, no one’s been worth it.” 

 

Minhyun sighed. “So, still sleeping around? Dad should have sent you condoms, not ginseng.”

Daniel flushed at that, sputtering, “H-how did you know?” 

 

“Daniel, I grew up with you,” Minhyun laughed, bringing his cup of tea up to his lips to take a deep sip. “Your mom’s been complaining about how she wants a son-in-law but you never take anyone seriously enough.” 

 

“Tell her it’s because you didn’t want me,” Daniel joked, and Minhyun’s expression shifted. 

 

“Daniel,” Minhyun began, and his tone was both warning and consolation, and Daniel hated it. Daniel hated the condescension, the pity, the underlying message of rejection that came with it - when all he wanted, all this time, was  _ reciprocation _ . “About tha-”

 

“KANG DANIEL,” a voice suddenly boomed, followed by a tinkling of bells on the door that most definitely did not do their job in announcing a newcomer. It was Park Jihoon, dressed in a cherry-red hoodie that was almost as red as his face. “I will skin you alive, and feed your skin to tarantulas, and then feed your skinless self to the same spiders.” 

 

“Please do,” Daniel whined, relieved for the first time in his life to have Park Jihoon and his smartass mouth shouting his ear off. He’d take this over awkward discouragement talks from his first love any day. 

 

Jihoon finally noticed that Daniel was actually at the cafe with  _ someone _ , and he relaxed enough to be able to excuse himself, “Sorry, was rehearsing some lines.” 

 

“This is Park Jihoon, acting major,” Daniel explained as Jihoon reached over for a handshake.

 

“Nice meeting you,” Minhyun cheerfully greeted, his voice still as honey-sweet as Daniel remembered it to be. “I’m Hwang Minhyun, Daniel’s friend.” 

 

_ Friend _ . 

 

Daniel suddenly took Jihoon’s wrist from the handshake and started pulling him out of the cafe. “I just remembered why Jihoonie here wanted to kill me,” Daniel laughed as he dragged the boy out. “Catch you later, Minhyun-hyung!” 

 

Minhyun cocked an eyebrow at the strange exchange going on in front of him, and waved belatedly at the two departing figures.

 

***

 

“The hell was that,” Jihoon yanked his arm off of Daniel’s grip. 

 

Daniel held up a finger and spoke in a serious tone, “One day.”

 

Jihoon tipped his head to the side in confusion as he adjusted his red hoodie. 

 

“One day,” Daniel repeated, words coming out terse and tired. “Can you please not hate me for just one day?” 

 

Jihoon’s eyebrows twisted into some sort of concern - before he thought better of it. He had never seen Daniel outside of smug, confident, giggly, or downright dumb. Daniel deflated into the park bench they were standing beside - and Jihoon figured that it wasn’t the time to ask Daniel about it. 

 

So he changed the conversation instead - back to his original point.

 

“How am I supposed to  _ not  _ hate you,” Jihoon said instead, sitting down on the park bench. He tried very hard to keep the venom from his voice, “When you told Seongwoo-hyung that I’m head over heels in love with him.”

 

Daniel’s expression changed from devastated to confused in a matter of seconds. 

 

Jihoon decided that  _ confused _ was a better look on that face. 

 

“I did  _ not _ ,” Daniel replied. 

 

“Then how come he knows I have a crush on him and I’m suddenly his understudy for a play?” Jihoon continued, holding up a brochure where his name was scribbled down as Ong Seongwoo’s understudy. His face was too close to Daniel’s own, squinting in a way that was meant to be menacing but overall made him even more adorable.

 

“Trust me, Park Jihoon,” Daniel swatted away the brochure that the younger was holding too close to his face, “If this was my intervention, you’d already be making out with him in an empty dance studio.” 

 

Jihoon colored a bit at that and threw the brochure against Daniel’s chest. “Then where did this come from? I haven’t even auditioned.”

 

“Ever thought that maybe he sees potential in you?” Daniel offered, glad to have Park Jihoon as a distraction. “I mean you work hard, you’re driven, you’re probably good at that whole acting thing.”

 

“Yeah, thanks,” Jihoon grumbled, unused to the appreciation and the kind of words that could only come from someone as uninhibited as Kang Daniel. At least this was the Daniel he was used to seeing.

 

“Or, understudy is code for s _ omeone he can do the woo-hoo with backstage _ .” 

 

Jihoon groaned as he resignedly slumped back into the bench. “Can you not be a fuckboy for like, one day?” 

 

Someone from a distance shouted, “ _ Let’s go campus loveteam! _ ” and Jihoon raised a hand to flip whoever that was off.

 

Daniel laughed. 

  
  


***

 

“Can you hear what they’re saying?” 

 

“Maybe I can if you stop whispering in my ear every two seconds, hyung.” 

 

“I knew we should have gotten the closer seat.”

 

“And get exposed?” 

 

Jaehwan and Woojin sat at a corner booth inside the closest coffee shop to their dorm - both hidden behind face masks and beanies pulled down to cover their eyebrows. Both pairs of eyes fixed on the brown-haired boy in a red hoodie nervously fiddling with the table napkin and the tall senior in a black turtleneck who had chosen the seat in an even farther corner of the shop.

 

The door chimed softly as a figure clad in the same mask-and-beanie get up huddled beside them, settling into the seat beside Jaehwan. 

 

“I came as soon as I got your message,” Daniel breathed, trying to pull down his mask but the boy beside him pushed it back up his nose. “Excuse you, Kim Jaehwan!” 

 

“Shh!” Jaehwan hissed, “Don’t you know that silence is the first rule of espionage?”

 

“Espionage?” Daniel asked.

 

Woojin tapped to signal the blonde junior to look back, and Daniel turned around slowly. 

 

He doesn’t know why - but his heart drops at seeing Jihoon acting all cute with his bestfriend.  It was a side of Jihoon he didn’t think he’d ever see.

 

But why did he feel like he wanted to be on the receiving end of those innocent doe eyes?

 

“You dragged me out to see this?” he turned his head back around. “Don’t they always hang out together anyway?”

 

“Not this time,” Jaehwan whispered. “This one’s an  _ official _ date.”

 

“All thanks to you, Niel-hyung,” Woojin added in a low tone.

 

“Me?” Daniel pointed a finger at himself. “I haven’t done anything though?”

 

“But,” Woojin answered. “Seongwoo-hyung said someone gave the secret away, and my lips have been sealed.” 

 

Both boys suddenly turn to Jaehwan, who had to take a few seconds before raising hands in innocence. “It wasn’t me either!”    
  


“Well, it was  _ someone _ ,” Woojin sighed. 

 

“Excuse me,” one of the cafe baristas interrupted, firmly dropping a menu on the table. “I’ve been told to ask you to leave if you aren’t ordering anything.” 

 

The three exchanged glances and realized how their stake-out must have looked to anyone else. 

 

“I didn’t bring any money,” Woojin whispered looking up to the juniors, and both his hyungs made to stand up. “Wait, wait, where are you going?”

 

“Sorry for bothering you,” Jaehwan bowed low to the waiter.

 

“We don’t have money either,” Daniel whispered as he pulled up Woojin, forced the younger into a bow, and ushered him out.

 

Woojin shot him a  _ what the hell _ expression before following Jaehwan out, and Daniel decided to look back.

 

He sees Seongwoo reaching out to take Jihoon’s hand in his, and he doesn’t know exactly how to feel.

 

*

 

“Who told you, hyung?” Jihoon whined, blush flaring again as Seongwoo brushed his thumb on the younger’s knuckles. “Daniel-hyung said it wasn’t him.”

 

“Nobody,” Seongwoo hummed. “You kind of gave yourself away the first few days, and I decided to act on a gut feel.” 

 

Jihoon hissed. “Was it that obvious?”

 

“Painfully so,” Seongwoo replied, smirking. 

 

Jihoon decided that maybe he liked his hand in Seongwoo’s - but it couldn’t be that easy. Nothing ever came easy.

 

“Hyung,” Jihoon started. “Did you only cast me as an understudy so you can flirt with me?”

 

Seongwoo clicked his tongue. “How can your  _ actual  _ self-confidence be this low?” 

 

Jihoon bit his lip, practiced bravado evaporating. 

 

“You remind me of myself when I was starting out,” Seongwoo continued, voice gentler and lacking its usual teasing tone. “I wanted to stick to the roles I was comfortable with - but someone forced me to take a leap of faith. Is it so wrong that I see the same potential in you and trust that you’ll run away with it?”

 

Jihoon lifted his eyes to Seongwoo’s sincere expression and felt a bit braver. He tried to come up with a smart line, but ended up giving a shy nod instead.

 

“And fine, okay,” Seongwoo released Jihoon’s hand and put both hands in his pockets, leaning back against the chair. “Maybe I want to try dating a cute and talented freshman.”

 

“ _ Please _ , tell me more about me,” Jihoon smirked. “You’ll have to do it if you want me going on more dates with you.”

 

"Not exclusively dating," Seongwoo said, tone suddenly careful - as if anticipating a rejection. "That's okay with you?"

 

Jihoon felt something curl in his stomach. That was just another word for  _ it's not really you _ , but he takes it.

 

"Fine by me. So I'm dating you now?" Jihoon puts on his best expression, knowing very well how to put on bright eyes and an enthusiastic expression. Something so easy to fake. "We're a thing?"

 

"Well," Seongwoo smiled, "We're  _ one _ of many things that could happen."

 

"What are my odds to be the  _ only  _ thing that could happen?" Jihoon asked, and finds himself regretting the question as soon as he had asked it.

 

Seongwoo ruffled his hair instead. "Play your cards first, Jihoonie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some light Ongwink and Nielnyeon before we drop into Nielwink territory in the next chapters :3 *cracks knuckles*
> 
> Typed this up while I was half-awake, so might make edits to it later on! Also a lot of people voted on angst, so I've re-outlined the remaining chapters and boy are you guys in for some drama ;;;; u can blame chul later on lol
> 
> As always, please do leave comments if you enjoyed the chapter!


	7. Level Six: Breaking Point

_ Cry.  _

 

Jihoon clenched his fists so tight he could swear he’d draw blood any second. 

 

_ Cry, dammit!  _

 

The entire class was silent, and Professor Jo awkwardly tapped his pen on the desk, counting down the empty pause after Jihoon had delivered the main lines. 

 

Not realizing that he was holding his breath, Jihoon finally let out a heavy sigh. Seongwoo was at the back of the class, hands tightly gripping the seat in front of him - watching Jihoon in expectation. The class waited with bated breath - Jihoon had delivered the lines forcefully, almost emotionally - all he needed to do now was cry. 

 

“It’s okay, Mr. Park,” Professor Jo finally remarked, putting both hands on the desk and rising from his seat. Jihoon looked up, refusing to meet Ong Seongwoo’s gaze, and respectfully nodded, an awkward smile on his lips as he bowed and went back to his seat. 

 

His seatmate patted him on the shoulder in consolation. 

 

“Maybe we can have Mr. Kwon take a stab at it?” 

 

Jihoon felt his heart drop. 

 

***

 

Daniel stretched his arms and cracked his joints as he warmed up. The sound of coaches’ whistles and his classmates paddling against the water echoed throughout the large gymnasium. 

 

“Kang!” the coach shouted, prompting Daniel to jog into his place and prepare to dive in. 

 

Swimming wasn’t his first choice for an alternative PE class, but he ended up liking it anyway - despite all the horror stories he had heard from Jaehwan and Seongwoo who had previously taken the class. To be honest, it was one of his favorite subjects for the semester and would usually extend an hour or two after everyone had left the gymnasium. 

 

Daniel crouched down on the block, long limbs taut and prepared to catapult forward into the waiting serenity afforded him by the pool. 

 

The coach whistled, and Daniel jumped in. 

 

There was something about the water and how it moved under him and around him and completely enveloped him, quiet and calm except for the movements he made, that gave Daniel enough time to clear his head. 

 

He focused his eyes on the tiles a few feet under him and a few meters ahead of him. 

 

Somehow, the usual calm of the pool can’t erase the vision of his best friend holding Jihoon’s hand. 

 

Daniel kicked faster, glided across the water in a frantic pace, frustration mounting as the vision doesn’t disappear -  _ no _ , if anything, it became even clearer. 

 

Like a bad dream he couldn’t shake. 

 

Like another someone he couldn’t have. 

 

Daniel’s hand tapped against the tile and he pulled himself out of the water, gulping in air as he heard the coach applaud him for the improved speed and form. 

 

Daniel could only offer a weak laugh as he positioned himself back on the block. 

 

He hoped that this time he wouldn’t see Jihoon’s face and his smile and the faint blush of his cheeks when he was with Seongwoo. 

 

_ He hoped that whatever he was feeling right now wasn’t jealousy. _

 

The coach whistled. 

 

Daniel pulled his goggles back on and dove back in. 

 

_ And Jihoon was still in his mind, under him and around him and completely enveloping every thought. _

 

***

 

Jihoon had tried not to mope when his classmate was chosen as the new understudy - he’d only held the position for a week and now he had to go back to being someone who worked on props. 

 

He figured that it's just his luck - he didn't deserve that part anyway. 

 

Maybe he only got that part because Ong Seongwoo pulled some strings. His classmate deserved the role.

 

He stayed back when the rest of the class exited the room, hoping to ask Seongwoo for a quick date; maybe a consoling hug before he headed back to the dorms. He felt a bit guilty about spending more nights playing games with Daniel than nights going out with his not-quite-boyfriend Ong Seongwoo - but he heard the older boy on the phone making plans with some other senior for the evening. 

 

Jihoon tried to keep it in - after all, he agreed to this whole open dating thing.

 

“Yes, yes, I’ll be there,” Ong smiled into the phone, holding up one hand as if to tell Jihoon to wait for a few seconds. “See you later. Bye.”

 

Jihoon gave a lopsided smile and a shrug when Seongwoo put down the phone. “Well I screwed that up.”

 

Seongwoo tutted and pulled Jihoon into a hug, careful to note that everyone else had left the room and it was only the two of them. “We’ll work on it some more, I’m pretty sure Professor Jo would be begging to have you back as my understudy.” 

 

“Tell me straight, hyung,” Jihoon peeled himself from the older boy’s hold - not quite feeling comforted as much as he was ashamed of his performance. If he was dating Seongwoo, he should be feeling comforted; but the effect was quite the opposite - it made him more conscious of everything he did. “Did he do it better?” 

 

Seongwoo bit his lip and leaned back on a desk. “He was...okay.” 

 

The expression on the older’s face told Jihoon all he needed to know. 

 

“So,” Jihoon coughed, shifting the conversation. “You have a date tonight?” 

 

“Yeah,” Seongwoo’s voice was apologetic. “I’ll make it up to you after? Bring you and Daniel snacks when you play tonight?” 

 

“No, it’s fine, hyung.” Jihoon smiled. They had only been dating for a week and he had already realized that it may have been a bad idea to agree to this whole open relationship thing. It felt like all the other dates Seongwoo had were better matches for him - one was a loud senior with a huge social circle, the other was a gorgeous junior who was the muse of the entire music department. 

 

And here he was, Park Jihoon with his insecurities, his sharp tongue, and his inability to open up enough to play a role right. 

 

It really wasn’t his day. 

 

Just then, a passing freshman spied Jihoon inside the classroom and stepped in. 

“Ya, Jihoon!” the boy excitedy blabbered, holding up a phone. “Congratulations!” 

 

Jihoon was stunned for a bit before realizing that he was waiting for an announcement all morning.  Eyes blown wide, he pulled his phone out from his back pocket and quickly refreshed the web page he had been at all morning.

 

**Quarterfinal Qualifiers**

 

...

Kang Daniel

Park Jihoon

…

 

Jihoon couldn’t help the smile that cracked on his face and bowed low to the freshman who brought him the good news. He and Daniel had been hard at work for the past days just to get to the quarterfinal qualifiers. “Thanks!” 

 

Seongwoo smiled and patted Jihoon on the shoulder after he had taken a peek at the phone. “You and Daniel, huh? So those sleepless nights paid off!”

 

The freshman at the door didn’t budge, and added a line that quickly made Jihoon’s heart drop even lower than it already had that day.

 

“I heard Kang Daniel was invited by the Strongest Idol Team to play as their support for the quarterfinal. They invited you too, right, Jihoon?” 

 

_ No, no they did not. _

 

“It’d be nice to see Kang Daniel playing with those guys, they’re amazing!”

 

“Wow, so Daniel will be playing on the official school team?” Seongwoo whistled through his teeth before flashing them at Jihoon in a wide smile. “How about you Jihoonie? I’m sure you wouldn’t turn down an offer like that.”   

 

_ I don’t even have an offer like that.  _

 

Jihoon stormed out of the classroom, finally at his tipping point.

 

The understudy role, the dates with Ong Seongwoo, and now Daniel? 

 

_ Who else wanted to give him up? _

  
  


***

  
  


Daniel floated on the water, finally alone in the gymnasium as the rest of the class had left. It was a Friday night after all - and people had things to do, places to be. 

 

In the silence, Daniel is alone with his thoughts - on the verge of uprooting all those pesky weeds in his heart that were telling him that he liked Park Jihoon. He got over Hwang Minhyun, he could definitely prevent whatever this was.

 

Only the little weeds materialized into an actual person slamming the door as he made his way over to the edge of the pool.

 

“You’re ditching me too?” Jihoon screeched, picking up a shoe and hurling it over at Daniel. “You too?!”

 

“Hey, watch it!” Daniel shouted back, his peaceful floating disturbed, voice echoing around the empty gymnasium. “If you want to pick a fight, either get  _ in  _ the water or wait for me to come out!” 

 

“What happened to  _ just trust me, I got you _ ?” Jihoon continued, taking off another shoe to throw at Daniel and barely missing as the boy ducked underwater, rising up a few seconds later to wipe off the chlorine from his eyes. “What happened to being  _ teammates _ ?” 

 

“Jihoon, can you fucking calm down?” Daniel creased his brow, wading over to the deep end of the pool where Jihoon was standing perilously close. He looked up to see the younger boy shaking, fists tightly clenched against his sides - socked feet toeing dangerously near the edge of the pool.

 

Daniel quietly prepared an argument as he let Jihoon’s frustrated shouting bounce off the walls. He can feel the exasperation rising inside him, because what was he to Park Jihoon? 

 

Just an emotional punching bag to shout at whenever he’s upset?  _ Just _ a teammate? He even had half a mind to reject the team’s official Game competitors in favor of keeping his duo queue with Jihoon. Daniel shook his head in disbelief. Was he honestly pining over this boy who so obviously harbored nothing but hatred for him, tolerance at best? 

 

What did Seongwoo have that he didn’t? 

 

_ Why the hell was he so jealous? _

 

Daniel was prepared to shout back, hoist himself up and begin a proper argument. 

 

Something along the lines of staying a fuckboy because he doesn’t have to deal with batshit crazy significant others, but Jihoon was coming real close. It was like getting lovers’ quarrels and he  _ wasn’t even _ a lover.

 

But Daniel looked up and felt all his resolve melt away, running down like the rivulets of water on his jaw and on his bare chest. 

 

He had seen Jihoon angry, he had seen Jihoon annoyed, frustrated, exasperated, tired; he had made a mental note that his favorite Jihoon was the one who laughed at victories or vulnerably smiled during conversations over fried chicken; or maybe it was the Jihoon across his bed who slept soundly, serene face lit by dappled sunlight in the early morning. 

 

But this Jihoon - this Jihoon was heartbreakingly devastated, tears running down from those sad, sad eyes. 

 

And Daniel is rendered speechless.

 

"For once," Jihoon clenched his fists tight against his sides, shouting voice dying down into a desperate whisper, soft whimpers swallowed back in his effort not to break. "For once, why can't someone choose me and just me. Why does everyone let me go the moment  someone better comes along?"   
  
"This is stupid, this is so stupid," Jihoon pushed himself away, turning on his heel. "That was selfish, I'm sorry. It's your junior year, you should get to the quarterfinals, I still have a few years to go anywa-"

 

_ SPLASH.  _

 

It was a quick grab to Jihoon’s shin, a sharp pull, and Daniel admitted that it wasn’t exactly the safest way to pull someone into a pool but he panicked, and he was ready for the angry assault from Park Jihoon but was stunned when it took Jihoon too long to resurface. 

 

When Jihoon did, it was a mess of labored breathing and desperation.

 

“DANIEL, Daniel you-” Jihoon sputtered, hyperventilating and panic evident on his handsome features as he kept sinking down and flailing around. “-you bastard, I can’t -  I can’t SWIM -” 

 

Daniel watched in horror at the unexpected outcome of his actions, before growing his brain back and swimming to the younger’s aid. He thought he got what he deserved when Jihoon’s flailing arms hit the side of his face twice or thrice - and he had half a mind that it was intentional.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Daniel shouted as he finally got hold of Jihoon, the younger’s legs wrapping instinctively around his waist, arms wrapped tight around his neck as Daniel tried to keep the both of them afloat. He could feel Jihoon shivering through the drenched flannel shirt and the denim pants, his usually unkempt brown hair dripping down his forehead, a wild panic still in his eyes as he coughed. “I’m sorry.” 

 

He kept them there, Jihoon’s ragged breathing the only sound in his ears as the water calmed itself down. He could still feel Jihoon shivering in his arms, body tightly wound around Daniel’s own - as if letting loose even just a bit would send him into another panic spiral. 

 

“I wasn't planning on accepting their invite.” Daniel whispered, trying to calm the boy down. “You’re my teammate, so I’m staying by you. So don’t say people replace you when someone better comes along.” 

 

Daniel raised an arm to pat the younger boy’s head and offered a weak smile. 

 

“Who would even do that to you?”

 

Daniel doesn’t know how long they floated there, but the ragged breathing turned into soft whimpers, and the shivering from the cold transformed into sobs racking the boy’s shoulders as he buried his head against the crook of Daniel’s neck. 

 

And Daniel had spent the last few years swearing off of feelings, and commitment, and falling in love. Those were the things that complicated life and left you broken. He’d had an easier time liking everybody and being liked, but never hoping for anything more than an evening full of lips on lips, of skin on skin, of a pleasurable high followed by the anonymity  of the morning. 

 

He had sworn off from love the moment Hwang Minhyun said no - so what was he doing now  _ caring too much  _ about the beautiful, broken boy wrapped in his arms, shivering in the cold, pouring his heart out against his skin?

 

He held the younger tight and whispered consolations, letting his cheek rest against Jihoon’s head as the sobbing continued.

 

_ What right did he have to fall in love with Park Jihoon? _

 

==

 

Jihoon sat on the tile floor, wearing one of Daniel’s extra board shorts and a plush white towel engulfing the rest of him - he could still feel the traces of the cold, cold pool deep in his bones, and he pulled the towel closer around him. 

 

Daniel hovered over him, sitting on the bench, Jihoon between his knees as he used another towel to dry out the younger’s hair. 

 

“What do I do with you if you catch a cold, hm?” Daniel tried to put on an exasperated tone, kneading the soft towel against the younger’s wet locks. “Who would be my DPS during the quarterfinals?” 

 

“You shouldn’t have tried to kill your DPS, then,” Jihoon sniffled, finally regaining his snark now that he was safely out of the water and tuckered out from all the crying. 

 

“Well, from now on, stop shouting at me,” Daniel jutted out his chin as he pulled off the towel and carded his fingers through Jihoon’s hair. “Too much shouting makes me panic.” 

 

“Why do you even have PE classes - your major is one big PE class. Bet you just wanted an excuse to flaunt your abs.” 

 

“Bet you only came here to take a look at them.” 

 

The younger boy relaxed into the feeling of Daniel’s hands on his head, Daniel’s knees barely touching his shoulders, relishing in how well Daniel took care of him - not asking too many questions, just staying close. There was a comfortable air between them as Daniel continued yapping on about having to call Woojin to bring Jihoon clothes because he can’t step out of the gymnasium dressed in just board shorts and a towel.

 

A small part of him wondered if Daniel was like this to everyone he took home. 

 

If yes - then he could see why they fell so fast for him.

 

"My dad," Jihoon mumbled after a long period of silence. "My mom."    
  


“Hm?”

 

“You asked about  _ who _ replaces someone when they find someone better.” 

 

Jihoon fiddled with the edges of the towel that draped on his shoulders. He trained his eyes on the floor, white grout separating each teal tile. He could feel Daniel’s expression changing from upbeat to sad as his hands slowed in their ministrations against his nape. Jihoon didn’t want to see that expression change, so he kept his head down.

  
"They say hi every once in a while, and they send presents every Christmas and on my birthday for as long as I can remember," Jihoon continued, wondering why he was opening up to Kang Daniel of all people. Especially when he had kept it from everyone else. "But after the divorce, they both have their own families now and I'm just," Jihoon sighed. "I'm just some sort of leftover you know? What remained when the relationship didn’t work out."     
  


“Jihoon,” Daniel started.

 

"Don't get me wrong, Woojin's family took great care of me, but I never felt like I deserved all that, yeah?" Jihoon felt his tongue going dry but forced the words out. "And when it comes down to it, I'd have them pick Woojin over me every time."    
  
"Hey," Daniel protested weakly.    
  


“Hell,” Jihoon sat up, trying to cut the seriousness and end it with a joke. “My professor thinks someone else deserves my understudy role, and even the boy I’m dating is out on a date with someone else. It’s a good thing I have my teamma-” 

 

Daniel suddenly slumped forward, taking Jihoon in his arms, face nestled on the younger’s shoulder.

 

“You talk about yourself like you’re just some backup plan,” Daniel said in a low voice, and Jihoon could feel heat creeping up his cheeks as he froze in place. "But when I look at you, I don't see anything worth leaving."    
  


Jihoon breathed in, chlorine on his skin and some fruity shampoo shared between them. Daniel on his back, and an unfamiliar lightness in his chest. He could feel Daniel’s hands close their grip around him, encircling him in a tighter embrace. 

 

And for a few seconds he tried to forget that maybe Daniel did this with everyone else.

 

“Hyung!” Woojin’s voice crashed into the gymnasium, a deafening loudness against the silence they had been in. “Jihoon!” 

 

Daniel quickly removes his arms from around the younger boy, leaned back, and waved to Woojin. Jihoon felt how quickly the cold set back in without Daniel against him.

 

“Really, Jihoon,” Woojin grumbled as he quickly made his way over. “How could you fall into a pool fully-dressed?” 

 

Steps followed after Woojin, and Jihoon looked up to see Seongwoo wrapped in a long coat. 

 

“Jihoonie,” Seongwoo called, and Jihoon could feel Daniel shifting away from their earlier position. “Daniel called me over. Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine, hyung,” Jihoon smiled up at the boy who was now fussing over him, running a hand through his hair and resting on his cheeks. 

 

Jihoon looked back up and noted how Daniel was back to being Daniel, eyes turned away and attempting to initiate a discussion with Woojin.

 

And somehow, Daniel’s fingers that carded through his hair a few moments ago was more comforting than Seongwoo’s hand on his shoulder right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrote this scene by scene so I hope it's coherent enough! I had a pretty long waiting time at the hospital today ;;;
> 
> So now we get to Jihoon who's afraid of being left behind, and Daniel who's afraid of falling in love because he doesn't want to get hurt again :3   
> WILL THEY FIND COMFORT IN EACH OTHER'S ARMS or will they endlessly pine after each other? stay tuned now that Gameboys is up to 12 chapters
> 
> Credits to Chul for 1) making this an angst fic; 2) getting it up to 12 chapters; 3) swimmer!Daniel and Jihoon-can't-swim prompt
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are much appreciated :D  
> I know it's not my best work (and I am increasingly lacking confidence with my writing lately...) but thank you for giving the fic a chance ' u '


	8. Save Point

Daniel knocked back his nth glass of the evening as he politely declined yet another invite to hook up for the night.

 

He could still feel how Jihoon fit right in his arms the night before; until he reminded himself that he may sleep around but he’s not an  _ asshole _ friend, and that calling Seongwoo was the right thing to do. 

 

He can’t believe he’s subject to this again after years of trying not to fall into the same hellhole - Daniel would often drink alone on a school night years ago, ignoring all the new offers to hook up that had been keeping his phone buzzing. 

 

When he wasn’t drunk on the afterglow of a one-night stand, he was drunk on alcohol and his thoughts: desperate attempts to numb himself and forget.

 

Since then he’s cleaned up his act, convinced himself he’s moved on - got into a hobby of gaming and actually enjoyed the achievements he got in-game. 

 

Only for that one bright spot that is gaming to betray him by leading him to Park Jihoon and his sharp tongue, his bratty attitude, his insufferable rage and how Daniel was completely, utterly, undeniably in love with him.

 

_ Great _ , Daniel swallowed the burning alcohol and tried to refocus his eyes.  _ I’ve fallen in love with another someone I can’t have.  _

 

The bartender had been glancing worriedly in his direction as he downed bottle after bottle without bothering to count how many he already had. 

 

It had been a whole week, avoiding Minhyun’s messages because he feared that meeting up again with the older boy will rekindle old feelings and he’ll find out that he was still in love after all.  _ After all this time. _

 

That he will find that he still wants Hwang Minhyun to realize that Kang Daniel was the one for him. 

 

Before he knows it, Daniel was the audience to his own thoughts playing out the monologue he’d been reciting those many years ago when he first got his heart broken. 

 

He didn’t understand how he can be  _ rejected _ , when his whole life had been one careful step after another leading to a lifetime together with the older boy. He went back to his favorite thoughts of how well they’d match if only Minhyun let him. 

 

He was eighteen when he finally confessed to Hwang Minhyun, his next door neighbor and his childhood friend. Eighteen and hopeful, lips unkissed and skin untouched because everything was saved for Minhyun. 

 

“Oh, Daniel,” had been the sad reply, that tone of pity that would haunt Daniel for years to come. “I’m so sorry.” 

 

Minhyun had only seen him as a younger brother, and Daniel had begged for a chance. A chance to show the older that they could be  _ so much more _ . 

 

But Minhyun only smiled, sad. Final. 

 

_ Please move on _ . 

 

And Daniel had been angry, had been desperate, and he found himself in one meaningless relationship after another - to show Minhyun  _ here _ ,  _ I’ve moved on _ .  _ Happy? _

 

He didn’t know when love had turned to hate, when hate had turned to desperation, why he would still call Hwang Minhyun whenever he got too drunk and it was still the same few questions and still the same old confession. 

 

_ Why not me _ ? 

 

It was a year later when he finally put a stop to the childish behavior and visited Minhyun’s pharmacy in Busan during spring break - only to find Hwang Minhyun’s fingers intertwined with someone else’s. 

 

And that’s  _ why _ . 

 

Daniel had stormed off - vision blurred by tears, desperate to book a train back to Seoul. To his meaningless relationships and nameless one-night stands. 

 

An entire lifetime building up to just one moment of realization that it would never be him. So he swore off Hwang Minhyun, swore off love, balked at the thought of committed relationships, and laughed at couples who thought they’d last.

 

And his traitorous heart now has the gall to  _ yearn  _ for Park Jihoon - a boy who goes out with his bestfriend, a beautiful boy who thinks of him only as a teammate, another someone he couldn’t have and shouldn’t want. 

 

Now he's sure that he's over Hwang Minhyun: the spike in his heart goes by a different name now.

 

Daniel’s eyes blurred - from the tears, from the intoxication, he’s not so sure. 

 

All he hears is Park Jihoon’s voice in that familiar irritated cadence, and then he remembers nothing more.

 

***

 

“Hurry it up, Woojin,” Jihoon panted as he supported most of Daniel’s weight on his wide back. “Besides,  _ you’re _ his freshman buddy, why am  _ I _ the one carrying him?”

 

“ _ You’re _ the beloved teammate,” Woojin grunted in response, hands swiftly pulling out the keys from his pocket. 

 

The three boys burst into the dorm room, waking a sleeping Jaehwan. 

 

“That’s it, I’m requesting a dorm move,” Jaehwan began to complain before pulling up his plush eye mask and groaning after he spotted Daniel between the two Parks. “He’s doing this  _ again? _ ” 

 

“Again?” Woojin asked as he dropped Daniel on the couch. “Niel-hyung can usually take a lot, I’ve never seen him this drunk.” 

 

Jaehwan ran a hand down his face and flicked the light on. “He was like this freshman year when all he could talk about was Hwang Minhyun and his unrequited love. It was horrible.”

 

“Hwang Minhyun?” Jihoon tilted his head as he placed a hand on top of Daniel’s head to keep the boy from tipping forward and falling face-first onto the carpet. “He was out with Minhyun-hyung the other week - I may have accidentally interrupted something.” 

 

“That explains it then,” Jaehwan nodded in understanding before pulling out a long coat and gesturing for Woojin to follow him. “Come on, Daniel’s freshman buddy, let me show you which things to buy for your hyung’s inevitable hangover.”  

 

“Wait, you’re leaving me?” Jihoon spun as he watched his two other roommates begin their exit into the hallway. For some reason he felt a blush high on his cheeks and he definitely did not want to be alone with Daniel right now. 

 

Not after he opened up to the older boy a few hours prior, and not after his thoughts were suddenly flooded with the idea of being in Daniel’s embrace where it was warm and felt like home.

 

“It’s just a quick trip to the convenience store, Hoonie,” Woojin rolled his eyes, but there was an underlying glint in his eyes that told Jihoon his best friend was trying to avoid taking care of a drunk upperclassman. “I’ll hold his head when he starts throwing up.”

 

Before Jihoon could protest any further, the door was already shut and he was alone in the room with a very drunk Daniel.

 

He plopped down on the couch beside Daniel and the older boy’s head naturally gravitated to rest on his shoulders.

 

“If you throw up on me, Kang, I swear-” he blew out a breath in exasperation. “We have practice matches for the quarterfinals tomorrow and you do this? Really?” 

 

Daniel’s hand snaked down to capture Jihoon’s fingers in his own - and his grasp held tight. 

 

“Stop it,” Jihoon whispered, checking to see if Daniel was really out of it. When he found no traces of recognition or any chance of Kang Daniel remembering any of this, Jihoon softened his tone.

 

“Stop doing that,” he runs his thumb over Daniel’s knuckles and smooths out his blonde hair with another hand. “Stop making my heart beat too fast, stop making me feel so wanted. Stop being so nice to me when all I’ve done is try to be the biggest pain in your ass.” 

 

Daniel’s head on his neck turned and he felt Daniel ghosting breaths along his collarbone.  

 

Jihoon’s eyes fall to their intertwined fingers as he controlled his breathing and tried to ignore how snugly Daniel’s head felt against him. Like he belonged there. 

 

“Stop making me fall in love with you when all you want is a one night stand, or worse - when you’re still in love with someone else,” Jihoon barely whispered. “I’m supposed to fall for Ong Seongwoo and it’s not happening, and I think it’s because of you.”

 

“I love you,” Daniel’s voice suddenly jolted Jihoon upright, and he checked to see if Daniel had been faking it after all; only to find the boy mumbling like he did when he was sleep-talking. “I love you, I love you, why can’t you love me back.” Daniel muttered, folding his legs in and burying himself against Jihoon’s rigid frame.

 

Jihoon smiled bitterly. 

 

“I could ask you the same question,” the younger replied. He gave himself the next two minutes to sit through the silence and Daniel’s mumbling; because when Woojin and Jaehwan returned, he needed to act like nothing was wrong.

  
  


***

 

“I owe you guys my life,” Daniel mumbled as he pulled the covers over his head. His roommates had unceremoniously let him sleep on the tiny couch rather than haul him up to his top bunk.

 

“You owe us a chicken dinner,” Jihoon grumbled as he yawned and pulled on his backpack. 

 

“And you’re on room cleanup duty for the month,” Woojin added as he opened the door. “Hoonie and I have an early class but we still stayed up to look after you.”

 

“Lies,” Jihoon accused as he walked out of the room. “Woojin fell asleep as soon as he brought all that hangover stuff Jaehwan-hyung paid for.”

 

“Okay, fine, Hoonie stayed up to look after you.” 

 

“This better not affect your performance tonight, Kang,” Jihoon called from the hallway.

 

“Kang and Park just game at night, everyone, nothing sexual happens in Room 9699,” Woojin announced to everyone else flooding the dorm hallway within earshot of their conversation.  

 

Jaehwan handed Daniel a glass of berocca as he watched the door slam and the voices of the two freshman disappeared.

 

“You remember how you complained before that I was the noisy roommate?” Jaehwan started, sitting down across Daniel on one of the gaming chairs. “I wasn’t ever as bad as those two.” 

 

“Jaehwan, help me, I’m fucked,” Daniel groaned, gulping the drink and adjusting the ice pack on his head. 

 

“I heard,” Jaehwan chuckled, “Hwang Minhyun again?” 

 

“What?” Daniel tilted his head up. “No.” 

 

“Jihoonie told me that you met up with him recently, though?”

 

Daniel groaned. “I told you, I’m over Minhyun-hyung. It’s someone else.”

 

“Don’t tell me fuckboy Kang Daniel is back to hopeless, unrequited Kang Daniel?” Jaehwan raised an eyebrow. “Who’s the heartbreaker this time?”

 

Daniel swallowed. 

 

There was no use keeping it in anymore, so he shuts down his mind and just chooses to trust Jaehwan.

 

“One of our noisy roommates.”

 

Jaehwan sat in silence before letting out a low whistle.

 

“You  _ are  _ fucked.”

  
  


***

 

Jaehwan was right - he had to act like nothing was wrong. He had to keep his mind off of all things Park Jihoon if he wanted to get out of this alive. 

 

Maybe he’ll get his chance if Jihoon’s Seongwoo-worship disappeared. 

 

_ Maybe. _

 

For now he just had to act normal and supportive, and just be a friend. 

 

A friend who was running really late for class and was being interrupted by a call from one of his senior contacts: the captain of the official school eSports team.

 

Which reminded him, he’d have to reject their membership offer soon. 

 

“ _ Hey, hey, Kang Daniel! _ ” the captain’s voice blasted through his phone as soon as he answered it. 

 

“Youngjae-hyung,” Daniel greeted, breathlessly running up a flight of stairs.

 

“ _ Just wanted to get your thoughts on playing support? We’re looking forward to have you on the school’s official team. _ ” 

 

“Yeah, yeah,” Daniel answered, far too focused on running to his class than listening to what Youngjae was saying. “Uh, I don’t really know what to say about playing support, hyung - just, just find the best DPS you can get and make sure they don’t get their ass fried?” 

 

His thoughts drifted to Jihoon and he felt butterflies in his stomach again.  _ Stupid butterflies _ .

 

“And to be an effective support, you need to get the absolute best damage dealer. That’s why i chose my current team.” Daniel arrived in front of his classroom. “Sorry hyung, got to drop - running late for class. Talk to you later!” 

 

***

 

“ _ Oops, sorry guys, but that was Kang Daniel’s thoughts - didn’t know he had a class to run off to _ ,” Youngjae laughed into the camera, and Jihoon could feel his hands tightening his grip on his phone.

 

“ _ We’re pretty sure he’s on our team - after all, we’ve got the best damage dealers in the school _ ,” Youngjae grinned. 

 

Maybe tuning in to this Gaming VLive wasn’t the smartest decision, Woojin thought as he noted how tightly Jihoon was holding the phone.

 

“Hey, Hoonie,” Woojin tore off the earbud from the screen to look at his friend. “Is Niel-hyung really joining the school team? But he told me he wasn’t-”

 

“I’ve got to go meet Seongwoo-hyung,” Jihoon interrupted, pulling off his own earbuds and shoving his phone roughly into his pocket. “See you back at the dorm, Woojin.” 

  
  


***

  
  


Jihoon couldn’t get Daniel’s voice out of his mind, not even when Seongwoo was already walking him back to his dorm after a quick study date over ice cream.

 

“Thanks, hyung,” Jihoon smiled half-heartedly as they dithered at the doorway. 

 

“Don’t I get a goodnight kiss before I hand you off to my best friend?” Seongwoo teased, tone playful.

 

“I’m sorry hyung, I’m just...out of it today.” Jihoon sighed.

 

“Is it still about the understudy role?” Seongwoo tilted his head in concern, putting a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder. “Or are you nervous about the quarterfinals? Daniel’s got your back for that, you know?” 

 

_ Daniel.  _

 

Just hearing the name sent pinpricks into his chest. Partly it was because of the betrayal of Daniel telling him he was not joining the school team but the captain saying otherwise in a public livestream, and mostly because he didn’t know why this affected him that much. Why the name  _ Hwang Minhyun  _ drove him jealous when he had no right to be. 

 

Why Daniel said he wasn’t worth leaving but his actions showed that he wasn’t worth staying for, either.

 

Jihoon faked a huge smile and nodded. “You’re right, hyung, I shouldn’t be worried.”

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Seongwoo asked, stepping back.

 

“Of course,” Jihoon answered, waving as Seongwoo walked off, and Jihoon turned the doorknob. He’s greeted by a smiling Daniel who was patting the seat next to his. 

 

“I’ve prepared everything for tonight,” Daniel announced before smiling sheepishly. “Jaehwan and Woojin said they’d come in after the match is over. Sorry you had to take care of me last night.” 

 

Jihoon grunted in response as he dropped his bag and took his seat, facing the character selection screen and noting how the clock was counting down to the match start. 

 

“So I was thinking,” Daniel babbled excitedly, pulling on his headset. “We could try this new strategy I thought of when-”

 

“When you were chatting up with the school’s official team?” Jihoon snapped. “Or should I say  _ your  _ team?”

 

Daniel’s expression turned serious. “You heard that?” 

 

“Of course I did,” Jihoon replied, tone calming down. “Everyone heard that at Youngjae-sunbae’s VLive. Everyone knows you’re ditching me to fend for my own at the quarterfinal.” 

 

“Wait, that call was on VLive?” Daniel started to explain. “I talked to them after that call to tell them I wasn’t joini-”

 

“Save it, Kang,” Jihoon interrupted. He felt too betrayed to listen to excuses or reason. 

 

“We were just talking about strategies to win the game and I-”

 

“Everything’s a game for you, isn’t it?” Jihoon’s voice was flat, unlike all those evenings they spent playing, when his voice would range from low grunts to loud screams. “Just a game?”   
  


Daniel turned to Jihoon, muting his headset.

 

“I opened up to you, told you my greatest fear, and you use it against me. You ditch me like everyone else.  _ Nothing worth leaving _ , my ass” Jihoon snarled, upset about this whole thing but even more upset because he can’t get himself to get over what was blossoming in his heart for Kang Daniel. 

 

So he takes it out through anger and an overblown reason. 

  
“You want to take revenge for me being an ass to you before? Well there you go,” Jihoon continued, voice breaking. “You win, Niel-hyung. This was all just a game, and I lost.”    
  


Jihoon slammed down his own headset, standing up to leave the room and clear his head. 

 

Jihoon felt stupid, how he let himself  _ hope _ for something more between the two of them. How he believed Daniel’s words despite all the signs warning him that Kang Daniel was a fuckboy.

 

Daniel pulled him down once again, and Jihoon ended up cursing and protesting as he dropped on Daniel’s lap. 

 

“What the fuck now-” Jihoon growled, attempting to shove himself away from the compromising position he landed in.

 

Suddenly, he felt Daniel’s lips on his, larger hand tightly gripping his own wrists, other hand holding his waist securely in place as his socked feet hung on one side of Daniel’s lap. 

 

Jihoon blinked once, twice, the background noise of the Game’s waiting room blaring from the headphones that hung around Daniel’s neck - and he found his hands moving slowly to pull those off from Daniel as he opened his mouth and accepted the kiss. He let it go deeper, breathing in the scent of Daniel and feeling a faint warmth crawl up every inch of his skin as the surprised kiss turned into urgent need, and he could barely hear their opponents calling from the speakers.

 

_ “Hey guys, you still there?” _

 

_ “Hey, Jijiji and Realdef, game’s starting!”  _

 

Daniel’s hand blindly traversed to his keyboard, closing the game screen with a single keystroke. Breaking the kiss for a few seconds, he shifted Jihoon’s position on his lap so the younger is straddling him, and Jihoon breathlessly whispered, “The game, hyung.”

 

“I can afford to lose once,” Daniel growled, and pulled Jihoon flush against him for another kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thaaat covers the Nielnyeon backstory and Jihoon realizing his own feelings~ My favorite part is when all the pining comes to a head and I get to end the chapter with a kiss C: 
> 
> The boys have very messy feelings I'm sorry, I'll try to re-read and make edits tomorrow if anything is too confusing! Please let me know what you thought!
> 
> (Also note that Ong will totally be okay with the setup, he's the one who proposed an open relationship after all hihihi)
> 
> TO THOSE WHO ASKED FOR ANGST don't you worry we've got a buttload of that and a bunch of misunderstandings yet to come :>


	9. Level Seven: Kisses

_ Five minutes? Ten?  _

 

Daniel didn't know how long he had been kissing Jihoon, drowning in the addicting taste of Jihoon on his lips like the first hit of a new high. 

 

It’s something he had only dreamt of having when he had first lingered on that pretty pout a few weeks back - how he wondered what they would feel like, taste like, what sounds he could draw out from them if he only had the chance. 

 

And now his own lips were pressed roughly against them and they were softer than he could have ever imagined. 

 

He tentatively tried pushing his tongue against the seam of those lips, skin prickling in anticipation of a punch and a string of curses; but his gamble is rewarded by permission to enter - Jihoon gasping audibly as he was tipped against the computer desk, hands clawing with need against Daniel’s back. 

 

Decorum be damned, Daniel pressed into him roughly, pushing his keyboard and gaming mouse off the tabletop. 

 

The older boy came to the belated realization that all of this had been boiling beneath the surface - Jihoon, despite his venom words and the way he rolled his eyes whenever Daniel said something remotely stupid, was responding to him in fine-tuned reflex. It’s as if they were in sync not just in-game but also in...games like these.

 

He groaned as the younger kissed back hungrily, leaving the both of them nearly out of breath. It’s almost divine how perfect this felt - and it wasn’t just the carnal want searing across his chest like all the other make out sessions he has had. 

 

This was Park Jihoon, sharp-tongued and proud, insufferable and adorable, Park Jihoon pulling his hoodie up and running those soft hands against his stomach, grunting appreciatively as he did. Park Jihoon pushing against him as his hands slid into the back pockets of the younger’s jeans. 

 

_ Park Jihoon who had his heart without having ever asked for it.  _

 

And he knew right then that no one else could ever compare.

 

Daniel broke the kiss before Jihoon could pull his hoodie off, and he is met with Jihoon’s eyes looking back at him desperately, mouth half-open and panting. 

 

“Jihoonie,” Daniel breathed, softly leaning his forehead against Jihoon’s own, gulping in breaths as he heaved against the younger. “You’re...you’re okay with this?”

 

Jihoon bit his lip, thought for a while, and Daniel fought the urge not to kiss him again. 

 

“If I was...against this...you’d have your unnecessarily...expensive keyboard smashed...against your stupid...face,” Jihoon replied, the snark in his voice losing it edge by the way his shallow breathing punctuated each phrase. 

 

Daniel couldn't help but smile despite how heated this entire thing had become.

 

“ _ Cute _ ,” he blurted out, earning a pull on a fistful of his hair and Jihoon’s teeth grazing his lower lip as their mouths clicked back into place. 

 

Daniel was pleasantly surprised at how forward Jihoon could be when embarrassed.

 

“Shut up,” Jihoon snarled through his bite on Daniel’s lip, and Daniel suddenly stood up to wrap the younger’s legs on his waist and carry him over to...the top bunk? 

 

Damn.

 

_ Why the hell did they both have top bunk? _

 

His head debated whether it was ethical to use either Jaehwan or Woojin’s bed when the door flung open and the two roommates crashed in like his conscience coming in to kill him.

 

“What the FUCK?” Woojin’s bewildered yell had Jihoon instantly jumping down and pulling at his clothes in a vain attempt to look decent.

 

“What the fuck yourself,” Jihoon snarled, from frustration or embarrassment Daniel couldn't tell. “Ever heard of knocking? Basic courtesy?”

 

“You owe me ten dollars,” Jaehwan whispered to Woojin, throwing Daniel a stink-eye and a smirk.

 

Daniel groaned as he pulled his hoodie down and covered his face with both hands. 

  
  


***

  
  


“When did this start?” Woojin demanded. 

 

“Give or take a few seconds ago? Until you so gracefully interrupted?” Jihoon shot back, surprised at his own calm reaction to this whole thing, when inwardly he was reeling. 

 

_ Did he just make out with Kang Daniel?  _

 

It was one of those bad decisions he’s sure he’ll regret later, but first - he had to keep his pride intact and act like this was his plan all along. Like making out with Daniel was his life’s mission.

 

_ Did he want to do it again? _

 

Yes, yes he did.

 

Woojin’s mouth opened and closed in a stunned silence, gesturing to Daniel - who sat like a guilty schoolboy in line at the principal’s office, then Jaehwan - who sat on his bed like he anticipated this was going to happen, and Jihoon - who was speaking like he evolved from a hopeless romantic into a fuckboy overnight.

 

“Why?” 

 

“The game pressure was getting to my support man over here so I figured I’d help him let off steam.” Jihoon answered, giving himself a pat on the back for sounding casual. All that acting training actually paid off. “And I’m a growing boy, I have  _ needs _ .” 

 

“You’re a fuckboy now, too?” Woojin hissed. 

 

“Maybe Daniel’s contagious,” Jaehwan quipped.

 

“It’s not a disease you can catch!” Woojin groaned. “Park Jihoon, can you meet me outside, please?”

 

“Wooji-” Jihoon protested, but he saw the way his best friend looked and realized that this wasn’t a joking matter.

 

“Meet me outside, or so help me, I’ll ship you back home to Busan,” Woojin growled and stood up to leave.

 

*

 

“Not to be a killjoy,” Woojin sighed as he rocked on the swing set he was obviously too big for. Jihoon swung beside him, head hung low as they were both illuminated by the orange light of an old streetlamp. “I’m not my best friend’s keeper or anything, but...why Daniel?” 

 

It was a small park just a stone’s throw from their dorm - and it was almost always deserted at night.

 

“I don't know, Woojin,” Jihoon answered, now fully understanding what had just happened - and there was no use keeping secrets from the only friend who stuck with him through all these years and knew all about his fears.  “I just know I liked it, it didn’t - it didn’t feel wrong at all.”

 

He could feel Woojin’s concerned gaze on him, but he kept his eyes trained on his shoelaces as he swung gently. 

 

“Jihoon, as much as I love Niel-hyung; I care about you a helluva lot more.” Woojin said. “So just know that I’m only looking out for you when I say he’s got a reputation for being a glorified dick on legs, and he can drop you the moment he finds someone he likes better.” 

 

Jihoon remained silent, and Woojin felt his chest tighten at having to say those words out loud. 

 

“And I can’t watch you do that to yourself.” Woojin said, softly - he hated seeing Jihoon hurt. Especially after everything he had already been through.

 

Jihoon bit his lip, the lingering taste of Daniel still on the swell. Woojin knew all about him - his deep-seated resentment at being second best, at being replaced by someone  _ better _ , at being left behind and being the one who loved more and was barely loved back. 

 

But Daniel - Daniel somehow felt like he was someone who was going to stay.

 

Woojin could only turn his gaze to the starless sky above them when he saw Jihoon’s eyes flutter with emotion - and he knew that when his best friend decided, he had no other choice but to  _ be there _ for him. Like he always had been.

 

“Will you be there if he lets me fall?” Jihoon’s soft voice rose from the silence, and Woojin wanted to cry.

 

Instead, Woojin let out a derisive snort and rocked his swing. 

 

“When was I ever  _ not _ here to make fun of your stupid decisions?”

 

Jihoon smirked as he finally raised his gaze to his best friend. “Thanks, Woojin.” 

 

Jihoon paused before jokingly adding, “Does this mean we can use your bed?”

 

“If the two of you so much as  _ look _ at my bed, I will burn you alive.” Woojin deadpanned, “As if that dorm wasn’t already tainted enough by all that face-sucking you were doing earlier.”

 

***

 

Jaehwan and Woojin would come to realize that their room could be tainted even more.

 

Whereas before, they would often see Daniel and Jihoon at each other’s throats because of some petty mistake in-game that cost them a few points; now they see...Daniel and Jihoon still at each other’s throats  _ but in a different way _ . 

 

Thankfully, the two weren’t in some lovey-dovey relationship and they didn’t have to sit through hours of sweet talk. It was still Jihoon’s snarky self, it was still Daniel and his irrelevant comments, it was still their room and their shared chicken nights out and boardgame weekends. It was like Daniel found a very convenient friends-with-benefits arrangement.

 

“I would love to tell you both to  _ get a room _ ,” Jaehwan sighed as he entered their dorm, dropped his guitar case in the corner, and plopped into bed - almost completely ignoring how Jihoon was leaning back against Daniel’s chest and was wrapped in the other’s arms as they played some obscure Steam multiplayer game while seated on the couch. 

 

“We already got one,” Daniel snickered, eyes trained on the screen and thumbs moving furiously on his controller.

 

Ignoring his friend’s answer, Jaehwan tipped his chin up and called, “Jihoon, didn’t you have that practice thing? I thought the play is already two days from now?”

 

“Yeah, it is,” Jihoon answered, sitting up from his position, Daniel reluctantly letting him go. “But I’m just the props guy now, so I don’t think they need me there tonight.” 

 

“I bumped into Seongwoo-hyung and he said he was looking for you these past few weeks,” Jaehwan noted, and Jihoon felt guilt in his stomach. He had been avoiding Ong Seongwoo ever since that night with Daniel. “He said you should be at practice tonight.” 

 

Jihoon groaned, standing up and pulling on a pair of sweatpants over his shorts. 

 

“Fine, but only because Seongwoo-hyung asked me to,” Jihoon grumbled, pulling on a pair of rubber shoes. Daniel felt a pang of jealousy at that and couldn’t help the pout on his lips. 

 

“I thought we were practicing tonight? The quarterfinal is already tomorrow,” he protested, pausing the game they were playing.

 

“If that’s your concern, you should spend more time playing games than playing Jihoonie,” Jaehwan said, earning a glare from Daniel.

 

“You can’t blame him, ‘Jihoonie’ is the most fun anyone can have,” Jihoon commented, walking over to the doorway. “Oh, and by the way, hyungs - I got you two tickets for the play’s pre-showing the day after tomorrow. Don’t you dare miss the chance to see my prop-work.” 

 

“Who would ever want to miss that,” Jaehwan teased good-naturedly, and Jihoon closed the door behind him.

 

“Daniel, it’s been weeks,” Jaehwan rolled his eyes as he sat beside Daniel, picking up the controller Jihoon had left on the floor. “Is this one of those friends-with-benefits crap or open-relationship things that Seongwoo-hyung taught you?” 

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Are you that scared of commitment that you couldn’t date Jihoon exclusively?” 

 

“I kinda want to,” Daniel rubbed at his neck. “I mean, I haven’t seen anyone else since Jihoon, and,” Daniel dropped his gaze to hide the smile forming on his lips.  “I don’t think I want anyone else after this.” 

 

“So,” Jaehwan grinned as he excitedly faced his friend. “What’s keeping you?” 

 

“Him,” Daniel answered. “He wanted to take it slow and not put a label on anything.”

 

Probably because he thought that was what Daniel wanted. He didn’t blame Jihoon - given his track record, it’s hard to believe that he actually wanted to settle down with just one person.

 

“How about you, what do you want to do?” Jaehwan continued, trying to apply all that he had learned from his psychology class on his unassuming roommate. 

 

“I want to,” Daniel breathed in. “I want to risk it all on him.” 

 

Daniel thought for a bit before putting his hands together. 

 

“Jaehwannie,” he put on his sweetest voice. “What do I need to give you and Woojin to leave me and Jihoon alone in this dorm all of tomorrow night?” 

 

Jaehwan stared at him with a horrified, disgusted expression, and Daniel quickly countered, “I’m not going to do whatever it is you’re thinking!” 

 

Daniel flushed at the insinuation, despite how many times they had gotten close to actually doing it. Something about Jihoon made him want to take this more seriously than all of his past relationships combined. 

 

“I’ll - I’ll confess to him.” 

  
  


***

  
  


The quarterfinal wasn’t a huge event - it was just Daniel and Jihoon and the eSports team huddled in one of the computer laboratories, and a bunch of fans huddled outside. 

 

“I’d get the both of you into our team if we weren’t one person too many,” one of the members, Jin, tutted as he stretched out a hand to shake Jihoon’s own. 

 

“It’s okay,” Jihoon smirked. “We’ll play for the duo champion and you guys get that team trophy.” 

 

“Confident,” Jin replied, laughing. “I like you.” 

 

They are interrupted by a loud voice calling out from the entrance, “Daniel, do your best!” 

 

Jihoon whipped his head around to see a familiar boy about to be tackled by other students.   
  
“Jihoonie!” Seongwoo continued his shouting before he was forcibly dragged out by one of the eSports club members. “I believe in you, baby!” 

 

“Sorry, hyung,” Jihoon explained, wide-eyed. “That was...that’s the guy I’m dating.” 

 

Jihoon dropped his head in a shy laugh and Jin whistled. “Ong Seongwoo, huh? I thought Kang Daniel was your boyfriend?”

 

“No, no, he’s not,” Jihoon quickly denied.  No one knew what went on behind Room 9699’s doors. Nobody knew what went on in Jihoon’s heart. 

 

_ Yet _ , Daniel thought as he gives a polite nod to the opposing team and took his seat down on one of the gaming rigs.  _ Not your boyfriend yet. _

 

“Ready?” he greeted into the mic as Jihoon sat across him. 

 

“When was I never?” Jihoon smirked back, face illuminated by the bright glare of his computer screen.

  
  


The game was over in a little over an hour, both teams from the University heading for the semifinals. 

 

*

 

While everyone else was celebrating at the afterparty hosted by the eSports team, Jihoon felt himself get pulled into the storage corner of the club room - into Daniel’s waiting arms and eager lips. 

 

“Congratulations,” Daniel said in-between kisses. 

 

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” Jihoon replied, kissing back. “You didn’t kill your carry this time.” 

 

“Can you let that go, please,” Daniel groaned, breaking the kiss and enjoying the way Jihoon chased after his lips, standing on his tiptoes. 

 

“Only if you kiss me again,” Jihoon teased, pulling at Daniel’s collar - but the older boy pushed him back. 

 

“Someone can see us here,” Daniel warned. He didn’t want any more rumors going on around Jihoon just being another one of his targets, so he tried to keep them hidden behind doors as much as possible - their displays of affection bothering only their two poor roommates.

 

Who just so happened to no longer be at home that evening.

 

“Let’s continue this at home, hm?” Daniel whispered, steeling himself against the adorable pout that Jihoon had put on. “I asked Woojin and Jaehwan not to come home tonight.” 

 

Jihoon’s heart lurched.

 

This was the part Woojin warned him about - the moment Daniel gets what he wants, it’s time to move on to the next target. 

 

“W-why?” 

 

“You know why,” Daniel threw him a wolfish grin, and Jihoon could feel his heart break a little. 

 

He wanted to keep pretending like Daniel was his and only his for a little while longer. He even tried making it seem like an open-relationship, just to show that he wasn’t the one who cared more. He hated how he stringed Ong Seongwoo along, but he needed to look like he wasn’t desperate if he wanted Daniel to stay. 

 

He didn’t want the night to come that Daniel tires of him and moves on to the next target.

 

But Daniel stepped away from him, rejoining the party, and Jihoon could feel the dread in his stomach grow. 

 

***

 

Daniel had left ahead of Jihoon, making up some flimsy excuse to buy condoms when he had to run to the flowershop a few stations away to pick up an order he placed the day before. 

 

Hydrangeas and a note, all that cheesy shit he hoped Jihoon would appreciate. Frankly, he thought of buying a gaming mouse instead (which Jihoon may actually want), but he realized he hadn't given flowers to anyone but his mom. 

 

And Jihoon was deserving of the same level of affection. 

 

He cursed inwardly when he remembered that he left his phone at the eSports celebration party. 

 

He wanted to call Jihoon to tell him he’d be a few minutes late back to the dorm, but now he had no choice but just to sprint him and his pink hydrangeas back and hope Jihoon wasn’t as impatient as he normally was.

 

_ One hour late was  _ fashionably _ late, right? _

 

Except, Daniel realized, timing had never been kind to him. 

 

He turned the corner to find a drunk man sprawled on a bench, and he wouldn’t have thought anything about it until he realized who it was. 

 

Even in the pale light of the moonlight, he’d recognize him anywhere. 

 

“Minhyun-hyung?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it for the chapter!   
> Aka the one where Jihoon hopes that Daniel is the one who picks him and only him, and Daniel is ready to risk it all for Jihoon. 
> 
> BUT WHAT WILL MINHYUN DO dun dun dun
> 
> Again feeling a bit uncomfortable with my writing and pacing but thank you guys for still reading through and letting me know your thoughts! Hope you enjoyed this one, it's a bit flufy and indulgent :3 And of course it's not my fic if Woojin wasn't harboring a secret unrequited crush on Jihoonie I'M SORRY 2PARK
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated and motivate me to keep writing~ see you in the next chapter!


	10. Game Over

“Hyung, what the hell?” Daniel tried to balance holding the bouquet and supporting Hwang Minhyun steady. There was no one else around except a group of juniors who were immersed in hushed conversation, and Daniel glanced down at his watch. He was already an hour late and this had to happen?

 

“Hello?” Minhyun’s voice came out a drawl, his honey voice tinted by heavy liquor as he lurched forward to land against Daniel’s chest. 

 

“Can you help me get home, I have my keys,” Minhyun nearly dropped the keys as he passed it to Daniel, and the younger had half a mind to leave him alone - except his hyung would get robbed (or worse) with the way he was passing around house keys to random strangers. He looked down to see the address on the keychain - and they were sitting right outside the apartment.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Daniel groaned, hoisting the man up. “You couldn’t have stayed sober long enough to get  _ inside  _ the apartment?” 

 

Daniel checked his watch and figured that an additional 15 minutes wouldn’t hurt. He started composing an apology message for Jihoon in his head, hoping that the younger wouldn’t bite his head off before he got to his confession. 

 

It was a tiring climb up a steep set of stairs to the third floor before he clicked the lock open and nearly threw his hyung in.

 

"Daniel?" Minhyun squinted in his effort to stay awake.

 

“Since when did you start drinking?” Daniel chided, settling the man onto the sofa as he checked his watch again. He  _ really _ had to go back to his dorm right about now.

 

“I broke up with him,” Minhyun answered, breath coming in short pants as his hands crept up to rest on Daniel’s shoulders and pull the younger down. “Looking for fun, now. You like me right?” 

 

_Was Minhyun coming onto him?_   It’s something he had dreamed of for so long, far too long, and to have it actually happen was surreal. 

 

Completely surreal but also  _ entirely unwanted _ now that he had Jihoon waiting for him.

 

Daniel’s mind buzzed with confused feelings, mostly anger, as he stopped fretting for a few seconds enough to throw Hwang Minhyun an incredulous look. 

  
“I  _ liked _ you, hyung,” Daniel spat out. “And you didn’t like me back, and I spent so many years trying to get over you. So don’t start now when finally,  _ finally _ , I’ve found someone I may actually have a chance with.” 

 

Daniel let the silence go on for that to sink in.

 

“I can’t,” Minhyun started hyperventilating, “I can’t breathe.” 

 

“Well, that’s how it feels to be  _ rejected _ , hyung,” Daniel huffed, wondering if it was socially acceptable to leave a drunken childhood friend alone in the dark - until he realized that the older man wasn’t joking.

 

Daniel’s eyes switch from mild annoyance and worrying about Jihoon to genuine shock as he recalled all the Hwang Minhyun facts that he had filed away in the  _ forget  _ folder of his brain. “You’re...hyung, you’re  _ allergic _ to alcohol.” 

 

Minhyun had already fainted, and Daniel instantly dropped the bouquet of hydrangeas to look for the medicine in Minhyun’s luggage.

 

***

 

Jihoon sighed. He had paced the room a hundred times now, taken a bath  _ twice _ , checked his reflection in the mirror and made sure that whatever he was wearing was easy enough to take off - but he looked up at the clock and it was four hours past the time Daniel said he’d be here. 

 

He looked at his phone, more than twenty missed calls to Daniel’s number. 

Even Jaehwan and Woojin refused to take his calls - and here he was, alone in the room. Hopeful, worried, nervous. 

 

He felt the ticking of time drag into little pockets of eternity; he tried playing games on his phone, tried doing homework he had long ignored, tried reciting lines from tomorrow's play even though he wasn’t going to be on stage. Nothing was working because his mind kept drifting to Kang Daniel and what could either be the best night of his life or the last night Kang Daniel held him close before moving on to someone else.

 

It’s when the clock struck 4AM that Jihoon threw on a jacket to step outside - and is met by a group of juniors in front of the dorm’s driveway.

 

“Oh, Park Jihoon,” one of them greeted, and Jihoon remembered her from one of the first few nights. He was one of the junior girls that Daniel was kissing outside their room. His heart ached.

 

“Hey?” Jihoon nodded, trying to sidestep the group. He had no idea where to start looking, but he wondered if maybe Daniel got into some emergency, or an accident. 

 

“Daniel finally through with you?” The girl called out and Jihoon noted that the entire group was an intoxicated bunch. 

 

“No,” Jihoon replied hotly, because how dare she verbalize his internal turmoil this casually? He spun on his heel to face the group, feeling all that balled up emotion inside him manifesting in uncontrolled anger. And Woojin wasn’t here to hold him back. His words were venom when he jeered, “Just because he only had one night with you doesn’t mean it’s the same case for everyone else.” 

 

“And just because he spent a few weeks with you doesn’t mean you’re special,” the girl shot back, laughing.

 

Jihoon calmly breathed in, imagining a Woojin trying to pull him off from a petty fight he’d be better off without. He smiled and turned away, “Tell yourself that.” 

 

“Why don’t you ask Daniel himself?” the girl called after him. “Saw him getting cozy with that Minhyun guy at some bench tonight. I bet he’d drop you for a piece of ass that looked like that.” 

 

Jihoon didn’t bother to respond to that, because he was too busy denying what he just heard. He barely realized that his knuckles had turned white with how tightly they were clenched, his lips nearly bleeding. His traitorous eyes began to blur but he blinked tears back and muttered a string of curses as he stomped his way off.

 

He circled round the dormitory to go by the back entrance, ran to their room, unlocked the door, and switched on his gaming rig - feeling very distinctly the empty space left by Daniel not being on the seat beside him. 

 

“Idiot,” he whispered under his breath, hissing at himself as his computer came alive in the darkness of the empty room. “Park Jihoon, you stupid, stupid idiot.” 

 

***

 

Daniel waited for Minhyun to stabilize; he was used to these allergic reactions from when they were kids and knew exactly what to do. The nearest clinic wasn’t for a few train rides away, and the station was already closed.

 

Daniel counted the minutes and monitored Minhyun’s blood pressure, his erratic breathing.

 

_ So even the perfect Hwang Minhyun could get his heart broken. _

 

Daniel looked up at the ticking clock on the wall and lets his head drop in despair.

 

He would have hell to pay once he sees Jihoon again, and he cursed at how he left his phone behind. He scratched roughly at his head because he had no numbers memorized either.

 

He looked at Minhyun laid out on the sofa and felt nothing but a platonic affection for the boy who once owned and lost his heart - and he prayed that Jihoon wasn’t up waiting for him. 

  
  


***

  
  


“ _ Hey, still there? _ ” he heard someone’s voice crackle into his headset, the annoyed voice bringing Jihoon’s thoughts crashing back to reality. “We’re starting a round, where’s your support guy?”

 

“Yeah, I’m here,” Jihoon coughed before unmuting his headset. “I’m still here, let’s play without him.”

 

“Play without support, are you kidding-” 

 

“Let’s play without him.” Jihoon repeated, tone resolute. He felt something wet down his cheek, and he clutches at his gaming mouse hard in an attempt to stop the tears from falling and his body from shaking. 

 

Jaehwan carefully entered, spotting Jihoon engaged in a game; and his eyes dart around to look for Daniel. He wasn’t expecting a lone Jihoon gaming - his worst scenario was  walking in on something he didn’t want to see.

 

Turns out he didn’t want to see Jihoon crying in front of a computer screen, either.

 

“Hoon-ah,” Jaehwan called, voice dripping with concern. “Are you crying?” 

 

A short pause.

 

“I got you, didn’t I, hyung?” Jihoon forced a smile, turning around to face him. “I’ve been practicing this for the past few weeks now - just in case I got the understudy part.” 

 

But something about the way the younger’s shoulders quaked and his breath hitched and hiccuped convinced Jaehwan otherwise.

 

***

 

_ 10AM. _

 

Daniel burst in through the door, chest heaving and a bouquet in his hands - only to be met by an angry glare from Woojin and Jaehwan, who were seated on their beds as if anticipating his arrival.

 

“Where’s-” Daniel panted, only to be met by Woojin standing squarely in front of him. 

 

“What did you  _ do _ ,” Woojin growled, fists clenched on his sides in an attempt not to hit Daniel right then and there. 

 

“How could you mess this up, Niel,” Jaehwan groaned as he put a hand on Woojin’s shoulder to calm the younger one down. “I sacrificed a perfectly good bed for you to screw an entire evening up?” 

 

Woojin spun around to raise an eyebrow at Jaehwan, who responded with an equally confused expression. 

 

“Didn’t he break Jihoon’s heart by ditching him for another one-night-stand?” 

 

Jaehwan’s eyes widened before looking at Daniel. “Did you? I thought you were going to confess-”

 

“I was going to!” Daniel yelled in exasperation. “I had the flowers, the note, the background theme song saved on my computer - I was  _ ready _ !” 

 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Woojin stepped back. “You were going to tell Jihoon that-”

 

“I love him,” Daniel finished, slumping on the couch. “Fuck, I love him so much - how did this become a mess.” 

 

“You weren’t out screwing another person?” Jaehwan clarified. 

 

“Hell, no,” Daniel explained, tiredness across his handsome features. “Minhyun-hyung got into a medical emergency and I couldn’t leave him to die." Daniel whined. "He broke my heart once, and now he’s ruining my chances at getting it sewn back up.”

 

Woojin cracked his knuckles. “Who’s this Minhyun?” 

 

Daniel rolled his eyes and waved a hand. “Calm down, tiger, let me speak before you throw any punches - and then let’s all try to find Jihoon, please.” 

  
  


***

 

"Are you kidding me," Jihoon deadpanned when the entire backstage crew cheered the moment he ambled in, looking like absolute _shit_ , and the director praised him for _method acting_.

 

The seniors all thought that it would be a good idea to have all the freshmen understudies take on the role for the pre-showing of the play - and as luck would have it, Mr. Kwon, Ong Seongwoo’s understudy, was nowhere in sight (diarrhea or something like that).

 

And neither was the actual actor, Ong Seongwoo. 

 

 

Jihoon wondered if the universe actually conspired to make his days progressively horrible as he pulled on the outfit meant for the character and waited for his turn onstage, heart hammering in his chest, adrenaline surging through his veins. 

 

The stage always let him act like the Jihoon he wanted to be: strong, confident, unfazed, wanted,  _ loved _ . 

 

_ Someone worth staying for. _

 

And that’s why he hated this character, hated this role - this boy was weak, and he loved too much, wore his heart on his sleeve, only to have all that come tumbling down because the one he loves is already in love with someone else. It was over before it ever began - and everything reminded Jihoon too much of himself.

 

Jihoon froze, delivering lines when his heart wasn’t in it while he was forcing himself to put on a strong front. 

 

Every time he shuffled backstage, the director would pull him aside, frustrated at Jihoon’s ramrod acting for such a vulnerable role.

 

Jihoon apologized, mumbling some lame excuse about not getting enough sleep and didn’t know that Seongwoo and Kwon wouldn’t be showing up, and everyone simply accepted that Jihoon was all they had right now.

 

So Jihoon walked back and forth the stage, reviewing lines each time, adrenaline and the bright stage lights keeping him awake.

 

But what little composure he had left came crashing down when he saw three figures entering incredibly late and huffing: Woojin, Jaehwan, and...Daniel.  

 

Daniel, the boy he had wanted to see for hours - was now the very last face he wanted to be looking at when the prompter on the stage hissed at him to start reciting his lines for the play's climax. 

 

“I can’t blame you for not choosing me,” Jihoon’s voice warbled across the silent auditorium, the shaking of his voice perfectly suited to this pathetic character he was playing. “It’s not your fault you don’t want me, it’s mine- it’s...I can’t do this, I can’t do it.” 

 

Jihoon shook his head as his voice trailed off, and he felt the eyes of his classmate and co-star in front of him grow confused because this was not how it’s supposed to go. He wasn’t supposed to be crying yet, but the moment his eyes met with Daniel’s despite how hidden he is in the crowd, something broke. 

 

“Why did you even let me come this close, why did you pull me in when you’d push me out the moment he walks back in your life,” Jihoon swallowed back his sobs as he avoided Daniel’s gaze and refocused on the scene onstage. Every word now felt a lot more raw, hit a little too close to home, bled him out a bit more. “I thought I meant something. I thought you’d be _different_.” 

 

He’s crying in earnest now, and he can’t stop. 

 

“I wish I could go back to just being a stranger to you, or pretending you don’t exist - but I can’t do that anymore. Not when you’ve suddenly colored everything else with everything you do.” He tried to recall what was written on the script, how this scene should end, and he barely choked out, “I hope you will be happy. I'm happy for you.” 

 

Jihoon took one last long look in Daniel’s direction, but found that he had lost him in the crowd. 

 

“You went off-script, but that was incredible improv!” the senior director was shouting as Jihoon ran back. 

 

Jihoon offered him a weak smile, trying to wipe away tears that won’t stop falling, and suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling him. 

 

He stepped through the backstage staff and into the arms of Ong Seongwoo. 

 

Seongwoo who smelled too much like comfort and escape and...alcohol. 

 

“Did I do well, hyung?” Jihoon sobbed, clutching tightly at Seongwoo's shirt.

 

“Jihoonie,” Seongwoo whispered softly, immediately realizing that all these tears weren’t for show. “What’s wrong? Daniel came in a bit late, but-”  

 

“Please, hyung,” Jihoon begged, face still buried against Seongwoo’s chest. “I don’t want to talk to him, not right now.” 

 

Seongwoo’s heart squeezed at how broken Jihoon looked, nearly hyperventilating. He looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep, and was running purely on the adrenaline of the stage. 

 

“Okay,” Seongwoo cooed. “Now calm down, calm down.” 

 

“Jihoon!” Daniel pushed past the freshmen production staff who were calling after him to  _ stop, staff only on the backstage.  _

 

Seongwoo felt Jihoon curl further into his arms, and as much as he wanted to have the two boys talk it out, he didn’t think Jihoon was in any condition right now to have an argument with Daniel. He hated the way Daniel’s face fell at seeing his arms around Jihoon - especially when their mutual attraction had been something he was rooting for all this time.

 

He thought that dating Park Jihoon would spark some sort of jealousy in Daniel and make the boy realize that it was time to make his move - especially when his frustration with the younger from way back very obviously reflected an underlying affection. 

 

_ A perfect match _ , Seongwoo had thought, because Daniel could never fixate on anyone long enough to talk about them at length - and when Jihoon came tumbling into their lives, it felt like his friend had finally found an anchor. He just needed a little push to jump.

 

But the way things were, Seongwoo was stupid to have wanted to play matchmaker - because somehow it looked like the two only ended up hurting each other.

 

“Daniel,” Seongwoo’s voice was calm despite the hangover that was throbbing in his head. 

 

“Jihoon, talk to me,” Daniel ignored Seongwoo’s soothing voice and took one more step closer, a bouquet of hydrangeas in his hand. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there last night, but I had a perfectly good reason, I was-”

 

“Go away, Kang,” Jihoon’s voice was soft but the edge wasn’t missed on it. “Can’t you see you’re interrupting us?”

 

Seongwoo blinked down at the crying boy, who may not know that he was inciting something he wouldn’t know how to end. He slowly looked up at Daniel, whose face looked like it was about to burst into tears.

 

Seongwoo wanted to turn Jihoon so the younger could see just what his words were doing to Daniel’s heart. “Why don’t you just run to whoever it is you want next, Kang Daniel, because I want _no_ part of you.” 

 

“Jihoon,” Seongwoo hissed, but he felt the boy hold onto him stubbornly, tears still forming into droplets against the front of his shirt. Seongwoo looked back at Daniel, who looked equally like he needed a hug. “Daniel…” 

 

“How many others have I kissed the moment you walked into my life? How many people do you think I’ve fallen in love with?” Daniel’s face suddenly twisted from the gentle Daniel he knew to that facade he had learned to put on. “I was willing to risk it all on you because I hoped against hope, I hoped against my fears, that you will actually love me back.”

 

Seongwoo felt Jihoon freeze in his arms, like he suddenly held his breath in and refused to let it out.

 

“If everytime you kissed me, you were thinking that I was just a heartless jerk who wants you only for the most basic of reasons-” Daniel choked as he ran the back of his palm against his eyes to keep tears from falling before continuing in a broken voice, weak and unsure, like Daniel wasn’t a junior who broke hearts - he was just a little boy who wanted to be wanted back, “ _Fucking hell_. How come...how come that’s all you ever saw in me?” 

 

Daniel looked like he wanted to say more, wanted to pour his heart out at Jihoon’s feet, but instead he bit his lip and threw his bouquet down. A specially-arranged bouquet of hydrangeas, Daniel’s feelings, thrown haphazardly on the floor.

 

Seongwoo wanted to call out to Daniel, wanted to convince Jihoon to talk it out with the boy; but instead, he felt Jihoon slipping down, eyes closed and breath finally even. From the exhaustion, from the lack of sleep, from the emotional weight that just came down.

 

Seongwoo’s eyes widened as he called for help, and the backstage staff tried not to crowd as pairs of arms carried Jihoon up and off to the infirmary.

 

 

 

The hydrangeas laid forgotten on the backstage floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY for all the misunderstandings and for these boys for talking before thinking ;;;;
> 
> but also yes this is the last of the angst for this fic, I can finally go into my fluff upswing starting next chapter uwu
> 
> Kudos/comments appreciated! This was a very difficult chapter to write but I hope it's good enough?


	11. Gameboys

“He’s discharged from the clinic,” Seongwoo announced as he entered his dorm room. The dorm room that was supposed to be a _solo_ room, except now there’s a very big and very _Daniel_ person huddled on an airbed on the floor. “It was just exhaustion, he should be fine by tomorrow.”

 

“Oh god, what do I do,” Daniel lamented as he pulled the blankets back over his head.

 

“For starters, you can go back to your dorm,” Seongwoo tutted, picking up the clothes that Daniel had left lying around. “As much as I _love_ taking care of you when you’re all sad and whining, I have a lovelife that needs to move forward, and it isn’t moving forward because your big-ass shoulders are blocking the way.”

  
“You’re already dating the boy I love,” Daniel whined. “Why are you even my best friend, you tall, gangly traitor.”

 

“I told you, I’m swearing off Park Jihoon,” Seongwoo pulled at the covers as he tried to get Daniel to get out of the airbed. “Since you seem to like him a lot more than I do, I’m backing off - besides, I think it’s high time I stopped dating around and actually stuck to one.”

 

“Oh my god, something’s wrong with you too,” Daniel groaned before sitting up, hair all mussed and eyes puffy from the lack of sleep or the overabundance of tears for the past two nights he’d been worried about Jihoon. “I got him confined because of my little outburst, how am I supposed to face him again?”

 

“You did not send him to confinement, don’t be too full of yourself,” Seongwoo plopped down on the airbed beside his friend. “You’re both just idiots with trust issues.”

 

“I’m the idiot with trust issues, he’s just, I don’t know,” Daniel smoothed a hand over his face as he fell back down onto the airbed. “I like him so much, how can I like him so much? Even when he’s a brat, even when he hates me, even when he doesn’t like me back...”

 

Seongwoo rolled his eyes. At first he had been guilty when he welcomed a crying Daniel into his room, but after the twelfth monologue about Jihoon _this_ and Jihoon _that_ \- he decided that his friend needed an intervention.

 

Or even just a reminder that he had other obligations to attend to.

 

“Don’t you have that competition thing this afternoon?”

 

“What day is it?” Daniel’s expression suddenly hardened with urgency.

 

“Tuesday. Competition day. The day Jihoonie had been babbling about non-stop when he was begging for an early discharge.”

 

Daniel jolted up and scurried to find useful clothes from the pile he had on the floor, before resorting to rummaging through Seongwoo’s wardrobe.

 

“Don’t you own _anything_ that fits me?”

 

“Daniel, I’m a normal person. Nothing I own can fit someone built like a _wall_ ,” Seongwoo smirked. “Just go back to your dorm and get clothes there.”

 

“Nope, not doing that,” Daniel threw on a ratty hoodie he found in one of the drawers and made his way out of the apartment. “Thank you for the free new clothes!”

 

Seongwoo’s eyes widened. He had lent his credit card to Daniel a few weeks back when he asked the younger to run a few errands.

 

“Try swiping with that card and I’ll make sure you don’t have a backup home the next time you’re heartbroken!” he called after the rushing blonde.  

 

***

 

“Park Jihoon,” Minhyun greeted as he took the seat in front of the boy at a pizza parlor. “And Ong Seongwoo.”

 

“Ah,” Jihoon stopped himself from wolfing down the last slice on his plate, and wiped his hands on a napkin before standing up. “Minhyun-ssi.”

 

His heart lurched at seeing Minhyun again - and his imagination ran wild with ideas of Daniel being happy with the handsome older boy. They did make somewhat a perfect match - Minhyun all elegant, calculated grace and Daniel all carefree and happy-go-lucky.

 

He could feel the jealousy growing in his chest; and he regarded Minhyun like an opponent who had bested him in the battle for Daniel’s heart. A competition he barely had a chance of winning.

 

And of course Mr. Perfect Hwang Minhyun had to crash his _not-a-break-up date_ with Ong Seongwoo, like rubbing salt to the wound.

 

“No need to be so formal,” the older boy pulled the chair and shot him a smile.  

 

“I told you I’ll meet you later, Minhyunnie,” Seongwoo remarked, and Jihoon looked at him in surprise.

 

“You two know each other?” Jihoon blurted out, politeness and decorum out the window.

 

“I saw him every time I visited Daniel in Busan,” Seongwoo waved a hand. “He was the hometown bestfriend and I was the Seoul version. The better version, if I can say so myself.”

 

“Still cocky as ever,” Minhyun scoffed, before facing Jihoon with a worried expression.

 

Jihoon was prepared to receive a long, flowery speech about how happy the older boy was now that he was with Daniel, or maybe a precisely-worded poem about how he was so much better than Jihoon, but all that tumbled out of Minhyun’s mouth was:

 

“Daniel’s just like a little brother to me, and he stayed the night because I had an alcohol allergy.”

 

Seongwoo sprayed the root beer he had been drinking. “You’re allergic to alcohol?”

 

“Wh-why are you telling me this?” Jihoon ignored Seongwoo’s outburst.

 

“Because I think you should give Daniel a chance,” Minhyun leaned forward. “I’ve never seen that boy this much in love, and trust me, I did my best to avoid all those lovestruck confessions he’d had for me before when he was a teenager with raging hormones.”  

 

Jihoon stared at Minhyun, dumb-founded. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and he fished it out to see an unread video message from Daniel.

 

“I-I have to go,” Jihoon stood up and pulled his backpack on. “I -uh, need to start registering for the tournament. It-it was nice meeting you again, Minhyun-hyung.”

 

The two older men watched as Jihoon walked briskly out of the restaurant in a daze.

 

“I blame you for this whole mess, Ong Seongwoo,” Minhyun groaned, running a hand across his face to obscure the small smile playing on his lips. He had wanted to talk with a friend a few nights ago, find some company after his long-term relationship inevitably fell apart - and it was Ong Seongwoo who answered the phone when Daniel wasn’t picking up.

 

It just so happened that “Ong Seongwoo” must be listed in the dictionary as the synonym for “Bad Decisions”.

 

“Spare my feelings, I just got dumped by the cutest freshman you ever saw,” Seongwoo joked, pushing back from the table and slapping on his signature grin. “And I wasn’t the one who insisted that I can down five jaeger bombs one after the other.”

 

Minhyun rolled his eyes. “It was your responsibility to stop me.”

 

“Why would I?” Seongwoo answered, a devilish smirk on his face. “You were much less uptight and polite when you had two drinks - I wanted to see what it would be like if you had five.”

 

“Apparently I ruin budding romances between my childhood neighbor and his cute teammate,” Minhyun stirred his tea, brushing the bangs from his face in mild exasperation. “It was your responsibility not to lose me in the crowd and take me home, though.”

 

“That’s fair,” Seongwoo replied, leaning forward. “Well I don’t have any plans of losing you now - so what say you we help those two patch things up?”

 

“Don’t you dare touch those two idiots with a ten-foot pole,” Jaehwan’s voice came from the stall beside them, and Seongwoo almost fell from his seat in shock.

 

“What the hell are you wearing!?” Seongwoo gestured at the music major in front of him who was clad in a face mask, a dark pair of shades and a cap.

 

“We were on a stake-out,” a rough voice chirped from beside Jaehwan, and Woojin pulled himself into view, dressed in the same outlandish attire. He raised up a phone that he definitely did not own. “And stop butting in, because we already have _Operation Gameboys_ underway.”

 

Minhyun wondered if moving to Seoul was a good decision as he carefully sipped on his tea, watching three grown men argue in front of him.

 

***

 

Jihoon sighed miserably as he took the event hall in - a huge gaming summit that had The Game competition as the main event: massive displays stood proudly at almost anywhere he shifted his eyes, Razers and Alienwares on display for trial, everything illuminated in either neon green or purple lights, the voices of shoutcasters and commentators echoing through several of the smaller booths, loud thumping bass drumming in his ears.

 

All this, and all Jihoon could think of was the video he kept replaying on his phone, that voice echoing in his mind and that sad face on the verge of tears. Jihoon hated how hopeless Daniel had looked in the recording, but what he hated the most was how Daniel refused to see him and answer his calls, like the older boy had given up on him completely.

 

“I love you Park Jihoon, and somewhere along the way I made myself believe that maybe...you liked me back somehow.” Daniel’s voice was metallic over the earphones but the screen registered the undeniable sadness on his face as he shyly scratched the back of his neck. Jihoon gulped as Daniel continued, “But I’m...just a fuckboy for you, I guess.”

 

The video cut off abruptly and Jihoon’s heart sank as the video ended for the nth time. He stared at the chat screen for a good while until a message popped up and he felt his sunken heart jump to his throat.

 

 _I’m dropping out and going back to Busan. Youngjae-sunbae’s team also agreed to play with you for the finals. I hope you win_.

 

“Hey Hoonie,” he heard Woojin call, snapping him from his thoughts. The younger Park exaggerated a look of disgust, “Wow, you’re not handsome today.”

 

“Daniel’s not coming?!” Jihoon’s voice tumbled out, raising the phone in his hands to show Woojin the screen.

 

“He’s not?” Woojin raised an eyebrow and tried not to smile before looking behind him. “I saw him walking around the venue a while ago though?”

 

“Where!” Jihoon pushed past Woojin to be met with a sea of people across the entire convention hall. Finding Daniel in a haystack of enthusiastic gamers and cosplayers was going to be a challenge, and he did not have the luxury of time.

 

Jihoon was never good for snap decisions - which is why he found himself making a beeline from the soundbooth, a desperate plan in his mind.

 

“You can just call hi-” Woojin started, but his eyes widened in shock when Jihoon pivoted and ran the other direction. “Hey! Where are you going! Call him! He has his phone now!”

  


***

 

Daniel sighed.

 

“Jaehwan, can I please have my phone back? You’ve had it the whole afternoon,” he looked around in the hopes of finding the holding area for The Game competitors. “I’m supposed to be with the other players already.”

 

“And risk you having a breakdown the moment you see Park Jihoon?” Jaehwan tutted, snapping a couple more selfies with his friend’s phone.

 

Daniel colored before sputtering, “I’m not going to have a breakdown!”

 

He had convinced Jaehwan that he had cried enough and was able to rationalize the situation properly - he can be Jihoon’s friend and teammate. He can push down the feelings he had. He can pull them back to being normal roommates. And then he’ll just have to live with the pain for a couple more years while he waits for graduation.

 

“I told you, I’m okay with Jihoon and I being just friends,” he ran a hand through his hair, lying between his teeth.

 

“ _Daniel? Kang Daniel?_ ”

 

Daniel spun around because he’d recognize that voice anywhere.

 

Only that the voice was _everywhere_ , echoing over the convention hall speakers. Everyone else in the convention hall had stopped to look around for the reason why the loud EDM music had suddenly shifted to a voice calling for a _Kang Daniel_.

 

Jihoon cleared his throat to force the words out. “I know you’re here, and if you can hear me I just...this is stupid I know, but yeah, can you come over and be my teammate again? Please?”

 

Jaehwan pulled at Daniel’s sleeve and pointed up at one of the huge screens where Jihoon’s worried face was being broadcasted. He could see all heads turned toward the freshman, and a few students at the convention hall recognizing Daniel and pointing.

 

“Hey, bud, I told you it’s only going to take a few seconds, can you chill?” Jihoon’s voice came over the speakers again as he angrily swatted away the staff manning the booth.

 

A few laughs from the audience. It seemed Jihoon didn’t know he was being broadcasted on the screens and not just on the speakers.

 

Daniel swallowed thickly as he watched Jihoon’s uncertain face turn from brash confidence to awkward teenager.

 

“Don’t make me beg, Kang,” Jihoon muttered over the microphone, probably unaware of how his blush was clearly registering over the stadium screen. “I’m sorry for all the things I said before, I was just...afraid of a lot of things. I’m sorry for calling you a fuckboy...even though you are. But my point is! That you’re... you’re not just any fuckboy.”

 

“Anybody ever tell Hoonie that he’s not the best speaker?” Jaehwan laughed when Daniel blushed even deeper beside him as he stared dumbstruck at the screen.

 

“You’re _my_ fuckboy.” Jihoon coughed out.

 

A pause, and the convention erupted in hollers and whistles.

 

“Oh my god,  that came out wrong,” Jihoon suddenly added, flustered. “What I meant was I...I love you too.”

 

Daniel’s eyes widened as the stadium went wild. His usually snarky, sarcastic Jihoon was rendered vulnerable and Daniel could feel his heart beating fast.

 

“So come find me, and let’s….let’s play, Daniel-hyung.”

 

Daniel was running to the commentator’s box before he knew it, Jaehwan and a small crowd cheering behind him with chants of _Dan-iel, Dan-iel_!

 

*

 

Jihoon sighed and looked up in relief, hoping Daniel was around to hear all that, since he already risked sounding like an idiot over the speakers - only to find his face broadcasted across the hall.

 

“ _Holy shit_.”

 

“Park Jihoon!” he saw that familiar silhouette standing a few meters from him, al crowd gathering around them.

 

Daniel was breathless and as handsome as the day he had seen him during that regional match so many months ago.

 

Despite the audience they had amassed, Jihoon found himself letting go - tears pricking his eyes as he ran straight for the man he had been missing over the past couple of days.

 

They meet in a crash of arms and warmth and Daniel’s head buried in his hair as Jihoon muttered a string of I love you’s against Daniel’s chest. There’s a round of applause and people cheering, but all Jihoon can hear was Daniel whispering _I love you_ back as he ran a comforting hand down the back of the younger’s head.

 

It is when Daniel tried to calm him down that he realized he’s crying, and it’s when Daniel’s lips met his in a kiss that he realized that he was home - and that he didn’t care if this was the cheesiest thing to happen at an eSports tournament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a while!  
> I was writing this out and it became /too/ angsty again so I backtracked and made it a lighthearted resolution instead C: I had to go to an eSports convention to figure out how it felt to be in a tournament lol
> 
> Also yay at finally pushing my Nielnyeon/Ongwink fic into Nielwink/Onghwang territory...I'm back in familiar waters whew
> 
> Comments and kudos are much appreciated, we have one last fluffy sassy chapter to go :>


	12. New Game +

Jihoon slumped back against his seat as his earphones buzzed with static and the shouts of his opponents.

 

It had been an intense almost-hour of gaming and he could feel the exhaustion crawl down his skin from everything that has happened so far - the embarrassment of having confessed so publicly, the relief of seeing Daniel again, the exhilaration of fitting back into Daniel’s arms and clicking against Daniel’s lips (with actual raw emotions this time, without the fear of being “just another one of the boys he’s kissed”), before they settled down on the competition seats and all of those feelings took the backseat to pure adrenaline. 

 

Only for Jihoon’s character to die within seconds of landing their winning shot.

 

And he can’t blame Daniel this time around because the older’s game was immaculate today. 

 

“Sorry, Daniel,” he mumbled weakly into his mic, stretching his legs out as he helplessly watched the countdown to respawn that ate up his entire screen. There was no way his character would respawn in time for the match to end. 

 

And he was  _ so close _ , too. 

 

He settled for looking at the blonde boy sitting to his right, mouth still upturned into a goofy smile, and he felt his heart feel a bit lighter.

 

Without warning, Daniel took Jihoon’s smaller right hand in his left and slotted his fingers between Jihoon’s before pulling it over back onto the keyboard, pinning the younger’s hand in a tight hold as he continued playing. When Jihoon sputtered over the line and looked questioningly at the older, Daniel smirked.

 

“I miss you already,” Daniel mouthed, and Jihoon felt a blush run up his cheek. 

 

He’s pretty sure this was being broadcasted on the screens - after all, the freshly-minted couple made for quite the buzz in the eSports community and whoever was placing bets in their university that the rumored campus couple was  _ actually _ a couple.

 

Jihoon decided that he had enough time to kill to accept that this isn’t his year to get into the national finals and maybe that’s okay - because the giggliest fuckboy in the world, his ex-archenemy, the boy he loved to hate but now just straight out  _ loved _ , was holding onto his right hand even as he sped through one keystroke after another. 

 

Funny how they met under almost the same circumstances and have come full circle to be completely different people. 

 

Jihoon and his fear of always being the option but never the choice, all covered up with snark and sass and the desperate need to win to show everyone that he is  _ worthy  _ \- now accepting the fact that winning isn’t everything. 

 

Daniel who had been afraid of committing to anyone after pining so badly after someone and getting rejected in the end - now risking it all on Jihoon and making sure that everyone knew that there wasn’t going to be anyone else. 

 

Jihoon bit his lip to stop a smile - because smiling while you’re losing wasn’t exactly a good look during a competition. He slowly panned his eye to the screen, where Daniel’s avatar was approaching his and blew a huge chunk of his SP points on resurrecting Jihoon’s character.

 

Jihoon’s eyes blew wide with surprise at the belated realization that  _ of course Daniel can resurrect players! _

 

“Back on the saddle, sweetheart,” Daniel pressed a quick kiss on Jihoon’s hand before letting it go and the younger hunched back over his keyboard - precious few seconds prolonged by the adrenaline that coursed through his veins, both from the urgency of the situation and the lingering sensation of Daniel’s lips on his hand. 

 

_ Four. _

 

Jihoon’s eyes darted across the screen, mouse wheel furiously scrolling as he checked for an angle and aimed carefully.

 

_ Three. _

 

Not the best vantage point, but passable.  At least Daniel did not resurrect him back at the homebase where he had to traverse the entire game map just to end up this close to the target. 

 

_ Two. _

 

Jihoon felt his heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears as the edges of his screen glowed red at the impending conclusion of the game. He’s vaguely aware of Daniel’s character buffing him from afar but there was no more time to lose - so he keys in his shot blind. 

 

_ One.  _

 

Jihoon held his breath in, unsure if that hail mary shot even registered officially. It wasn’t an ultimate skill, he wasn’t even buffed properly - his only chance was if the opponent had a drop of HP left and he was able to actually land the hit-

  
  
  
  
  


**_VICTORY!_ **

  
  


Jihoon screamed as he bounced up from his seat and threw his headphone down, Daniel beside him mirroring the younger’s actions - and they can finally hear the commentators shouting wildly over the speakers. 

 

The screaming continued as Daniel took him into his arms, cheers coming from the audience.

 

“Team  _ You’re My Fuckboy _ makes it to national finals!” one commentator screeched.

 

Jihoon heard the line over the speakers and abruptly peeled himself away from Daniel, yelling, “Who the hell said that was our team name!”

 

Daniel laughed out loud, barely able to keep himself from doubling over at how quickly Jihoon’s celebration turned into annoyance. “Leave him alone, Jihoon-”

 

“No, no, that commentator wants to  _ fight _ ,” Jihoon growled, starting to make his way to the commentator’s box - but Daniel pulled him and planted a kiss on his forehead before facing the audience and shouting, “I’m his fuckboy!” 

 

“Yeah, you are!” Jaehwan’s screaming made itself heard amidst the noise, and Jihoon glared at Jaehwan and Woojin - who both looked like all of this was their plan. When Woojin grinned and raised a thumbs up, Jihoon’s suspicions were confirmed; and he made a mental note to make sweet, sweet love to Daniel one of these days on Woojin’s bed as revenge.

 

Daniel made to run towards Jaehwan and Woojin, only to slip down the steps and land on his backside - dragging Jihoon down with him.

 

Daniel laughed even louder, and Jihoon flared red as he started to reevaluate how he had fallen for the giggliest,  _ fuckiest _ fuckboy this side of the world.

  
  


***

 

_ Two months later. _

 

“Since when were Seongwoo and Minhyun dating?” Jaehwan huffed as he climbed up the stairs to their dorm with Woojin. The younger wondered how the building staff still hadn’t fixed the elevators in the  _ months  _ that had already passed.

 

“They’re not, though?” Woojin replied, eyes squinted. 

 

“Did you see them playing that FIFA game?” Jaehwan paused from his walk to shoot Woojin a judging glance. “Minhyun pretending to be a pro when he hasn’t played that game in his life and Seongwoo playing like someone who didn’t have thumbs? If that wasn’t flirting, I don’t know what is.” 

 

Woojin thought for a moment before the realization hit his face and Jaehwan nodded, “Right?” 

 

“As if one gaming couple wasn’t enough,” Woojin scoffed. “Why did we ever help the original two idiots get together?” 

 

“Because as much as they’re both pains in the ass, they’re bigger pains in the ass when they’re sad,” Jaehwan offered.

 

“Righ- hey!” Woojin interjected as he almost collided with the back of Jaehwan’s head. He peeked over his hyung’s shoulder to see what had caused the abrupt halt.

 

“So,” Jaehwan looked at the closed door to their room, Daniel’s shirt hanging off the knob. 

 

“I guess this means the original two idiots are back from that finals thing,” Woojin groaned. “We only had a week’s break from Kissy and Kissier?” 

 

“I thought they’d be gone longer,” Jaehwan sighed. “Unfortunately, I left my guitar in there and apparently Daehwi needs it to help your group with your next performance. Acoustic modern dance?” 

 

Jaehwan walked up to the door and rapped loudly, shouting out loud for extra measure. “We know you’re in there, and we know we don’t want to see whatever it is you’re doing, so get ready in 5...4...3...2-”

 

Jaehwan threw the door open and he heard Woojin gasp behind him in horror. 

 

“That’s it, Park Jihoon, we’re switching beds,” Woojin lamented. “After we change the bedsheets, the mattress, and that entire bedframe. Hell, let’s burn this whole room.”

 

“Hey, we had one second left,” Jihoon snapped back as he yawned, dropping back against Woojin’s pillow as he pulled his shirt down. 

 

“Like one second was enough for Daniel to jump up his bed and pretend you two weren’t making out?” Jaehwan deadpanned as he walked towards his own bed. He squinted at the tall blonde who was dumbly standing beside him. “You didn’t touch my bed, did you?” 

 

“Did we?” Daniel replied, rubbing his forehead where it had hit the bedpost in his hurry to climb up. 

 

Jihoon shrugged, a devilish smirk playing on his lips. When Jaehwan looked like he was about to cry, Jihoon burst out laughing. 

 

“We weren’t doing anything,” he giggled. “I told Daniel to put his shirt on the door and I laid down here playing games on my phone with my shirt rolled up.” Jihoon’s gaze turned to Daniel, who was still rubbing the same spot on his forehead. “You hitting your head on the bedpost was a nice touch though.”

 

“I wasn’t planning on doing it,” Daniel rolled his eyes and settled for sitting on the couch. “Maybe I’m too sad over losing the finals match.”

 

“Nice to know you guys aren’t very sore losers,” Woojin sighed in relief as he gestured for Jihoon to get off his bed. 

 

“There’s still next year,” Daniel yawned, stretching himself out on the couch. 

 

“How did you deal with mister competitive over here?” Woojin asked, picking out a shirt from his cabinet.

 

“We still have next year,” Jihoon replied, stretching out from Woojin’s bed and sitting down beside Daniel, throwing up a leg to rest on Daniel’s lap as he continued fiddling with his phone. 

 

“When I cost you a match, I never heard the end of it,” Woojin groaned as Jaehwan pulled him out of the room. “But when Daniel costs you the finals,  _ you still have next year _ ?” 

 

“That’s because you don’t stick your tongue inside Jihoon’s mouth on a regular basis,” Jaehwan chided.

 

“My tongue would like to stay inside my _ own _ mouth, thank you very much,” Woojin snickered.

 

“My mouth would like to be free of Woojin’s tongue in this lifetime, thank you,” Jihoon called after them. 

 

The door slammed shut as Woojin, Jaehwan, and the guitar made their way to the gymnasium where Woojin’s team had enlisted composer Lee Daehwi’s help for a midtempo modern dance stage.

 

As soon as the footfalls outside the room disappeared, Jihoon was back on Daniel’s lap, arms around his neck; and Daniel had his hands roaming up Jihoon’s shirt again. 

 

“Now,” Daniel smirked. “Where were we?” 

 

“I’d love to say I’m tired from the finals,” Jihoon said between kisses, pressing himself against Daniel as they tumbled down onto the carpeted floor in a mess of laughter - Daniel keeping his weight off the younger as he hovered above him, elbows on both sides of Jihoon’s face. “But I do owe you for costing us that finals match.” 

 

“You owe me nothing,” Daniel shushed Jihoon with a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose and leaned down to look the younger in the eyes. His expression was gentle and unhurried. “I’ve got the grand prize right here.”

 

Jihoon couldn’t help the blush on his cheeks. Two months with Daniel and the boy still said stupid things like this that made his heart race faster than any match could. 

 

“I don’t why but,” Daniel continued, fingers trailing up to brush the hair from Jihoon’s eyes. “You give me a thrill greater than I get in any game, and I’m looking forward to watching you grow as an actor, have you sitting front-row in all my shows, getting a cat-”

 

“Dog.”

 

“ _ Four _ cats,” Daniel enunciated, loving the exaggerated pout on Jihoon. “Getting our own place so you stop tempting me on Woojin’s bed when we both know we’ll never do it there, me teaching you how to swim, having Jaehwan sing at our wedding-”

 

“Get Minhyun-hyung too, I like his voice...and he’s very handsome,” Jihoon said lazily, and it was Daniel’s turn to pout. 

 

“ _ I _ will sing at our wedding,” Daniel corrected himself and Jihoon laughed at Daniel’s turn to pout. He’d never admit to it, but he loved it when Daniel rambled on like this - vulnerable, raw, and  _ happy _ . 

 

Jihoon pulled Daniel’s face lower to meet his, locking their lips for the nth time that still feels like the first time; and Jihoon knew there and then that if this was a videogame, he’d replay it over and over no matter how badly it started or how rocky it got in the middle. 

 

They slowly parted and Jihoon ran a hand down Daniel’s jaw as he smiled. 

 

“I’m looking forward to all of that, then.” 

 

Sensing the older boy melt into his hold, Jihoon pulled Daniel down in one smooth move and leaned over as he straddled his teammate. 

 

“But for now, Kang Daniel,” Jihoon mischievously licked his lips, Daniel grinning back and breathing hard under him.

 

“Let’s play.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that ends Gameboys~
> 
> To be honest this started out as a three-chapter small thing but @winkparks and @bapaldeul made very strong arguments and used birthday cards to push this into what it is now!  
> I think I'll miss writing this AU because it's...my second longest fic ever lol 
> 
> Hopefully you enjoyed the ride, thank you so much for everyone who left encouraging comments and stayed throughout the past few months (and through all those messy updates)! I hope it didn't disappoint :3

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, this idea had been around for months now - but today's Nielwink at The Musician event forced me to finally write it out! 
> 
> I intentionally didn't put a game title - but I imagine their favorite game to be a cross between PUBG, Overwatch, and LoL. And maybe even have some RPG elements thrown in. From here on out it shall be referred to as The Game *dun dun dunnn*
> 
> Prepare yourself for slow burn, a buttload of fluff, a sprinkle of angst, and boys being boys.
> 
> Will probably get my other fics out of the way (last chapter of the Beautiful!AU and last few for I Like You A Latte) before editing and continuing this one, please look forward to it! 
> 
> As always, please leave comments/kudos if you enjoyed~! And feel free to hit me up over at [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/cheesehoonie) \- I mostly just fangirl over Jihoon and Nielwink xD


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